I am an “On” pioneer

It all started small, even for the now world-famous sports shoe and clothing company On. I live in Teufen AR, where On co-founder and inventor Olivier Bernhard lived and trained during his active time as a top professional triathlete. I often saw him during training sessions, mostly while running, when he flew past me with ease. Or when he swam endless lengths in the swimming pool. Olivier was already a tinkerer back then, both in terms of equipment and nutrition. For example, he swore by drinking a glass of olive oil in the morning before the start of the Ironman. I followed this rule for my Ironman starts. It didn’t do me any harm.

It was 2011 or 2012 when I was once again on the lookout for a new running shoe. A salesperson in a sports store in St. Gallen drew my attention to an “insider tip”, a new Swiss brand: the On shoe. At first glance, it took some getting used to, but why not: I tested it on the treadmill and it immediately felt very comfortable and light. So I bought it.

To prepare for my Ironman 2013 in Sweden, where I finally qualified for the World Championship in Hawaii, I trained according to the training plans of Olivier Bernhard and his manager Fabian Kremser. Olivier was already traveling the world for his On shoes and no longer made the training plans himself.

I subsequently completed my entire Ironman running training with this new On shoe. I finally met Olivier in October 2013 in Kona, Hawaii, the day before the Ironman. In the transition area, where all the world’s triathlon brands were on display, he only had an inconspicuous medium-sized table and a pile of shoe boxes. A small mini-vendor of a new running shoe. But at least, as he told me at the time, he already had the first professional triathlete with On shoes at the start: the Swiss athlete Caroline Steffen. Nine years later, the new world champion Gustav Iden crossed the finish line with On running shoes and a course record. And the success story goes on and on.

My On running shoes from back then were probably the first generation, one or two years after the On company was founded. So I can call myself an On pioneer. I still run in them from time to time, although some of the typical rollers at the back are a little worn.