Reflection on We Run for Tibet, Silent Run: From Friday, 5th September to Sunday, 7th September 2025

Dominik Erne
Sep 21
7 min read

This run was very important to me. As many of you know, We Run for Tibet 2025 was not only a success with hundreds joining, but also a moment that touched me profoundly — seeing so many people stand together in support and solidarity with Tibet

As co-founder and ambassador of the run, my personal goal was to cover the full distance from St. Gallen to Geneva. In March, I couldn’t achieve it. I had to stop in Fribourg — the fever I carried just five days before the start made it impossible to complete the journey.

The event itself was still a great success, thanks to the incredible support of so many people. But deep inside, I knew I had to try again – to cover the full distance and to finish what we had started.

Looking back now, I feel both relieved and deeply grateful — relieved to have finally completed the journey, and grateful for everyone who gave me strength along the way.

Key Facts & Figures

What: Silent solidarity run for Tibet, part of We Run for Tibet 2025, around Tibetan Uprising Day (March 10)
When: Friday, 5 September to Sunday, 7 September 2025 (second attempt, after the first edition in March 2025)
Where: St. Gallen → Geneva
Distance: 373 km
Result: Finished! In 58h18min
Who: Dominik Kelsang Erne running the full route:
- 240 km alone
- 133 km with support from two friends: Pascal (first night) and Nico (Lausanne-Gland)
- With stationary support from:
  - Kalsang
  - Tibi
  - Thubi
  - A Tibetan friend along the route
Why: To raise awareness and show solidarity for Tibet — and to keep my promise to finish what I had started.

A Personal Reflection: The Journey Beyond the Finish Line

Friday, 5 September – Morning

Into the Rain – St. Gallen to Wil

It's Friday morning 6am @St Gallen main Station: Let's go!

It started in rain. The first 6 hours were all rain – sometimes hard, sometimes just drizzle. Whatever - let's just run and focus on the purpose!

I was running from St. Gallen through Gossau, Flawil, and Uzwil, heading steadily towards Wil.

Wil (SG, km 33): short stop – coffee break, toilet, banana.

First Marathon & Tibet Institut Rikon

A little further on I reached the first marathon mark (42.2 km) in 4h29. Just nine more marathons to go 🙂

Tibet Institut Rikon (via Wildberg): arrival at the holy place. I did kora, took some pictures, and felt the energy there. Stayed for a few minutes, then went down.

Right after leaving Rikon, the rain finally stopped and the sun came out.

Effretikon – Dry Clothes, New Energy Station

All my clothes were totally wet from the first six hours of rain, so I needed to change everything. I searched on Google Maps for showers at the train station of Winterthur – but there were none. Instead, I found a swimming pool in Effretikon.

At the Sportzentrum:

The guy there kindly gave me a towel (thank you so much!).
Took a shower.
Dried my clothes by using the dryer.
30-minute break.

This was so important – to get dry after being wet for hours.

Five minutes later: quick Coop stop, sandwich with eggs and a Coke. Then came a small slowdown – mini-crisis.

Friday, 5 September – Evening

Zurich HB – Sunlight and Motivation

Running direction Zurich – arrival at Zurich HB: the sun was shining and it felt so good to be there. A big lift in energy and motivation.

At Fischerweg I was hungry again, bought more sandwiches and a non-alcoholic beer. That helped.

Then carried on to Dietikon where a Tibetan friend was waiting for me. The purpose was to prepare for the upcoming climb and to do a short break:

20-minute break
Coffee, shoe change
Took poles for the climb

Oberrohrdorf – Pasta, Powernap & Pascal

While climbing to Heitersberg, I lost the trail a few times, then back on track through the forest. Felt great. 1 hour and 15 Minutes later, I arrived in Oberrohrdorf.

A Tibetan friend waiting with pasta (so good!)
40-minute break including a powernap
Pascal arrived to join
First part of the solo run of 108 km done, so happy to have company for the entire upcoming night run

Friday Night → Saturday Morning

Night 1 with Pascal – Running Through the Darkness

Early Friday night, Pascal and I ran towards Wildegg. In Aarau, we took a short break at the train station. I was already feeling tired, and a quick Coca-Cola gave me some energy.

By around 02:00 on Saturday morning, hunger hit hard. We spotted a kebab and pizza shop still open — a small miracle at that hour. We went in, ate pizza, drank Coke, and it helped a lot.

We carried on running through the night towards Langenthal. For a while things felt good, but as the hours passed, fatigue kicked in and motivation started to drop

Saturday Morning

Langenthal - Burgdorf – Super Tired, a Table Becomes a Bed

After Langenthal, fatigue and low motivation came.

Near Wynigen: I was super tired. Stopped at a Landi, slept 40 minutes on a table.

Then coffee, and we continued – much better.

Bolligen – Pascal’s 100 km, Precious Support

Burgdorf – Krauchtal – Bolligen: passed my old hometown Burgdorf, took pictures, some uphills and mini-trails. A bit slow.

At Bolligen, Pascal had reached 100k and stopped. I was so grateful for this amazing support – doing the first night together was super precious and helpful.

From here, I would run about 100 km on my own, heading towards Lausanne

Saturday Midday / Afternoon

Muri (Bern) – Long Break, Care & Recovery

I continued alone to Muri. Met Tibi there.

1h20min break
Ate, changed clothes
Charged phone and watch
Laid down, put some more hirschtalg on my body to avoid irritated skin
Some good talks with Tibi

Left refreshed, going OK again through Flamatt and Wünnewil.

Fribourg – Espresso Rescue

By Saturday evening, before Fribourg, I was tired and unmotivated again. I was walking quite a lot.

In Fribourg: party crowds on the streets. Felt weird :)

Stopped at McDonald’s: hamburger + espresso. Felt so good.

Saturday Evening / Night (second night)

Matran – Detours, Headlamp & Reflective Vest

Arrived in Matran at a big chantier, confusing detours. Stronger headlamp, reflective vest.

Ran on the left side of the road for safety reasons.

~23:00: reached Romont. Quick break, Coke at Selecta machine.

Romont to Lausanne – The Hardest Part, Second Night Alone

As expected: dark, alone, second night, nearly 1000 m elevation gain.

Luckily, Kalsang came to Siviriez by car. Pasta + 20 minutes chilling in the car (total break ~1h). Then she drove home and I continued uphills towards Lausanne.

Small forest roads felt strange. I just focused on the goal: Geneva. One step after the other.

Lausanne – Final Descent & Powernap at the Train Station

From Moudon to Lausanne on the national road: surreal at 4:30 a.m. Sometimes no cars, then suddenly many. Every time a car appeared, I stopped – I lost more time but it was better to play safe.

The final descent began from Epalinges down to Lausanne, more than 500m drop in elevation. That's hard, it hurt a lot in the quads… but I was optimistic.

At Lausanne Gare, Nico was waiting. So happy to see him. We met at the train station café. I was super tired, 20-minute head-on-table nap (total break 50 min). Woke up re-energized. Powernaps are precious.

Sunday Morning

With Nico – Running by the Lake, Confidence Restored

We started again. Running next to the lake early Sunday morning was beautiful. Energy rising, mood positive. I knew then I would make it.

Lausanne–Morges: 7–8 min/km pace.
Ran together until Gland, where Nico stopped. Very grateful for his support.

Sunday Afternoon

Nyon to Geneva – The Home Stretch

I carried on alone. The last part of the solo run was lying ahead. A bit more than 20 km remaining.

Nyon (13:00): filled bottles at fountain.
Coppet: quick 5 min stop, Gatorade from Selecta.

Through Versoix and lakeside villages.

In Genthod my watch battery died. Switched to Strava on my phone. Only 4–5 km left. Sun shining.

Geneva – Relief & A Silent Victory

Geneva sign! I stopped the counter — 373 km in 58h18. A world record.

Walked towards the Palais des Nations — Kalsang waiting, waving the Tibetan flag.

So happy and relieved to have arrived! This was my longest run ever.

Ultras are, above all, a mental game. Along the way, the head tells you many times: ‘basta, it’s enough.’ The pain, the fatigue, the darkness – they all push you to stop. But as long as the mind stays strong, the body follows. That is why ultrarunning cannot be measured or projected in a simple way.

My PBs on shorter runs — 35 minutes for 10K, 2h42 in the marathon, or even 242 km in 24 hours — don’t mean anything in XXXL ultras like this. On paper they’re just numbers, but ultrarunning is a completely different world.

The longer you run, the slower you inevitably get. And that’s also the beauty of ultrarunning – it’s a kind of mirror of life, with all its ups and downs. In the end, it is less about numbers and more about resilience – about answering the voice in your head that says stop with a simple step forward

I’m deeply grateful for everyone who supported me along the way.

What made me finish was not only my own sporting goal, but something much bigger.

For Tibet. For freedom. For solidarity!

Numbers Behind the Journey

Total km: 373 km
Total time: 58:18:15 (St. Gallen to Genthod in 57:43:15 + Genthod-Geneva in 00:35:00)
Moving time: 48:49:47
Elapsed time: 57:43:52
Avg pace: 9:23/km
Avg moving pace: 7:56/km
Running on my own: 240 km
Running with company: 133 km