The Freetrail Podcast with Dylan Bowman Nina Engelhard | Uphill & Classic Mountain Running World Champion
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Oct 17, 2025 Nina Engelhard, a Double World Mountain & Trail Running Champion from Germany, balances her stunning athletic success with a career as an environmental engineer. She discusses her journey from jogging with her mother to dominating in uphill and classic races. Nina shares the challenges of sudden media attention and her preference for living off the digital grid. With insights into her unique training philosophy that includes low volume and cross-training, she reflects on her emotional victories and the joy of spontaneous race planning.
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Self-Knowing Approach Shapes Everything
- Nina feels at peace with herself and follows what life needs rather than external validation.
- That self-awareness shapes her training, media choices, and honest communication.
Phone Off, Ocean Decompression
- After the championships Nina turned her phone off and vacationed with her parents on the French Atlantic coast.
- She walked beaches and swam to decompress away from media demands.
From Jogging With Mom To Mountain Debut
- Nina started running jogging with her mom at age 13 and joined PSV Grünweiß Kassel.
- She did track events through university before shifting to mountain running three years ago.