Professional runner Kim Schreiber: "Writing a book has long been my dream"
18.9.2026
Translation: machine translated
Professional runner Kim Schreiber has published her first book, "Off Track." In addition to personal experiences, it contains portraits of legends in the trail running scene and descriptions of iconic routes. She reveals how she combines her two passions, running and writing, in this interview.
In addition to her professional running career, Kim (Kimi) Schreiber is a freelance copywriter and author. She has been running for the international Adidas trail running team for eight years and is ranked among the best in the world according to the UTMB Index. Kim lives in Munich and hosts the trail running podcast «Höhenmeter pro Kilometer» with her friend and fellow runner Ida-Sophie Hegemann. In this interview, she tells me about the biggest highlights and challenges of her career.
You are an author and a professional trail runner. Both are demanding professions. What is it like living with this combination?
Kim Schreiber: Very good. It was a dream of mine for a long time to write a book. Maybe it sounds a bit silly, but sometimes it's not enough for me to just say: «I am a professional trail runner». That's why I think it's nice to be able to add: «And now also a newly minted author».
What does that look like in everyday life?
I am absolutely happy with it. Running and writing enrich my life equally. It was like that back at university. When my head was full from studying, I would go for a run. Afterwards, I could sit still and concentrate again. That is still the case. If I didn't have the movement, I certainly wouldn't be able to write as much.
Source: Dan King
Back to the beginning. How did you get into trail running?
My mom ran a lot. I basically learned it from her. When I moved to Bamberg in 2016, I joined a running club. A friend at the time, who was a trail runner on the Adidas Terrex team, took me to Franconian Switzerland. He thought I might like running on trails. But in fact, I had been doing it for a long time without knowing that was what it was called. I have always enjoyed running in the woods and have also spent a lot of time in the mountains. So trail running was always a bit of a part of my running, without me consciously calling it that.
You travel a lot for training and competitions. For example, in Madeira or South Africa. Is trail running also a way for you to discover the world?
Yes, definitely. There are many places, for example in the USA, in California, that I was able to get to know through running and that I probably would never have seen without the sport. I also get to know new people and cultures. Especially in South Africa, in Cape Town, there is a community that is incredibly warm-hearted and welcomed me right away. All these encounters and friendships that I have made through running are a huge gift.
Source: Callwey
What does running mean to you?
It has always given me a welcome break from my everyday life. It was also my retreat during a time when I was very insecure and didn't really know what I wanted from life. During those times, running always accompanied me. Of course, it is much more than that now. I found my sponsors through the sport and earn my money with it. It has opened so many doors for me, for example to a podcast and now also to a book.
According to the UTMB Index, you are in the top 1 percent of women. What have been your greatest successes so far?
I wouldn't pin that on one competition. It's more the sum of everything that has come about through running so far. For a while, I was dissatisfied and always searching. Now I have arrived and am happy in Munich. If a competition doesn't go so well, I don't immediately have an existential crisis, and for me, that is already an extremely beautiful success. If I am disappointed now because it didn't go so well, I know that it comes from the fact that I am so passionate about it.
Are there races that you particularly like to remember?
The Schnalstal Trail was very demanding and very alpine. I thought the course didn't suit me at all, and at the end of the day, I finished the 51 kilometers with 4,500 meters of elevation gain as the first woman. The Schnalstal Trail and the Koasa-Marsch were both races that were incredibly demanding and did my self-confidence good. I also had really good races at the Broken Arrow in the USA and in South Africa. Those are all really cool experiences.
At the Koasa-Marsch in Tyrol, you finished the 55-kilometer distance first in the overall standings. And you covered 3,900 meters of elevation gain. How did you experience that?
The course is incredibly beautiful and brutal. I had a really good day. In 2017, I ran my first trail race ever at the Koasa-Marsch. And then winning the anniversary edition in 2025 was something special.
You celebrated another success in Switzerland. At the Swiss Canyon Trail, you also ran to first place on the 31-kilometer course.
The Swiss Canyon Trail was also important because things didn't go quite so well beforehand at the Transvulcania on La Palma. Winning the 31-kilometer distance at the Swiss Canyon meant a lot to me afterwards. It was very hot and it was a super fast race. The afternoon start time doesn't really suit me at all. And then it was such a good race. What I like about the competitions in Switzerland is that in addition to the prize money, there are always cool prizes, for example cheese. I really like coming to Switzerland because I always feel appreciated there; that has been the case with every race so far, including the Davos X-Trails 2025.
Source: My Visual
The OCC, a 55-kilometer mountain marathon on the Orsières - Champex - Chamonix route and part of the UTMB Finals, is one of the most important races of the season. It is now also behind you. How did you experience the race?
This year, I wanted to approach this annual highlight more easily and allow myself to accept the challenge without losing my love for running. I managed that. Unfortunately, I had to struggle with cramps once again. Nevertheless, finishing as the 12th woman is something I am satisfied with. While running, I was in the here and now, able to soak up the atmosphere and the unique scenery and lose myself in it. I am very grateful for that in retrospect.
What was the most important lesson you have learned in trail running so far?
It still isn't easy for me, but for me, it is: Don't look at the others so much. It has happened to me many times that I started too fast because I was looking at the others or completely deviated from my strategy and my gut feeling, and then I always had a bad race. That's why I'm working on really running my race and focusing on my strengths, regardless of whether the others sprint off from the start.
You have several sponsors and are on the Adidas and Blackroll teams. What was the step from ambitious amateur runner to professional like for you?
I signed my first contract with Adidas in 2019. But that was on a very small scale; it was about shoes, clothing, and a little pocket money. I was still working for magazines at the time. Working full-time and training at a high level was simply no longer possible at some point. I sometimes only slept three hours because I trained before and after work. Adidas met me halfway, and I no longer had to work full-time. That was also the point at which I decided on running and wanted to reduce my writing for the moment. But it was a process, and it took some time until I could really make a living from running.
Did you always want to become a professional runner?
No, I never planned that (laughs). I was always athletic and also did my sports A-levels. But that wasn't a goal I had been feverishly working towards for ten years. When Adidas sponsored me, I thought: «This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity». I am very happy that I got the right offer at the right time. That is not something to be taken for granted. Funnily enough, I had previously had conversations with a local retailer who, however, thought I didn't have enough successes to show for it yet. In retrospect, I am glad that didn't work out.
Keyword professional. Trail running is becoming more and more popular and at the same time more professional. For recreational runners, it is sometimes difficult to get a starting spot in larger races. How do you see this development?
There are still surprise results. Just recently, Morven Goodrum finished third at Sierre-Zinal after leading the race for a long time. Without a sponsor and without long experience in trail running. But that doesn't happen often. In general, it is true that the races are becoming more competitive and it is less likely that hobby runners will be at the front.
A podium finish doesn't have to be the goal for everyone. Many people love running in the mountains and like to be inspired by professionals like you. For example, in the podcast «Höhenmeter pro Kilometer», which you do with Ida-Sophie Hegemann.
When Ida asked me, I had doubts whether anyone would even listen to us. But I thought the idea was super nice, and now I am very grateful when I see how many people listen to us and how much feedback we get. During a run on the weekend, a hiker came towards me and said quite spontaneously: «Cool podcast!» That makes me happy, of course. The project means a lot to me. Especially since we can just say what we want. We can be open and critical and address exactly the things that occupy us. That is also a great opportunity for us to experience running in a completely new way.
The book «Off Track» has now also been released to accompany the podcast. What fascinated you about this project?
The idea and the structure came from the publisher: There was already a similar book on the topic of road cycling, with portraits of people, beautiful routes, and background information. I felt that as almost a relief at that moment because it is my first book and I had great respect for a blank Word document. I contributed my trail running expertise and my contacts. I am a quite critical person and also like to provoke. That is not always suitable for a coffee table book. I am therefore glad that I was also able to take up critical topics that go a bit beyond the running horizon.
In fact, you don't just show the sunny sides of running. In one portrait, professional runner Dakota Jones, for example, addresses the dilemma of traveling a lot, which harms the environment even though nature means so much to him. Corrine Malcolm addresses the lack of visibility of women in running. Why was it important to you to include these topics?
I find it difficult to just praise the sport to the skies. I didn't just want to show people who win crazy competitions. That is simply not my way of storytelling. The publisher knew from the beginning that I wouldn't just list the sunny sides of trail running. And I thought it was super cool that my contacts were open to my approach. Sure, there were discussions, but we managed it well overall, I think.
What would you pass on to hobby runners from your experience?
Trail running is booming, and if you look at some social media posts, you might get the impression that it is very easy. To a certain extent, that is also true. Trail running is very beginner-friendly, and you can have a lot of fun, run on incredibly beautiful routes, and make progress if you approach it correctly.
But if it looks like it's very easy and everyone could immediately run 100 miles with x-thousand meters of elevation gain in record time, then that is simply not true. And such statements are annoying. Trail running is a demanding sport, and depending on where you run, you are moving in really difficult terrain. The body must first be led there, and accordingly, you need time, patience, and also a certain discipline. Therefore, my first tip would be to take the sport and nature seriously.
What does that mean in concrete terms?
I see a trend towards: further and further and crazier and crazier. 100 kilometers or 100 miles are considered normal. And I think it's a shame when someone says they only ran «just» 50 kilometers. Because 50 kilometers is a great distance, but 10 or 20 kilometers are also demanding. Only a few can really run these distances quickly; that is definitely a super achievement. We shouldn't forget that. I think it would sometimes be good to listen more to your own body and your own feeling than to let yourself be influenced by social media and then be dissatisfied.
Source: Callwey
Would you like to take a look into the future? What are dream races or dream destinations for you?
I'm not that far along with the season planning for next year, but if I may spin wild ideas: Maybe it would be cool to try a sky race or to explore routes that I haven't run at all yet.
Will there be a new book next year?
Let's see what comes. I have some ideas and am having conversations, but at the moment it is also quite pleasant not to have to finish another book in addition to training and competitions. As much as I enjoy doing it, it was just very stressful at times. And yet, I can well imagine working on a book again next year.
Thank you very much, Kim. We are excited to see what we will be able to see, hear, and perhaps read from you in the near future.
Header image: Siri Schubert
Siri Schubert
Senior Editor
Siri.Schubert@digitecgalaxus.chResearch diver, outdoor guide and SUP instructor – I love being in, on and around water. Lakes, rivers and the ocean are my playgrounds. For a change of perspective, I look at the world from above while trail running or flying drones.
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