LUMPI employee organizes run for a good cause

Sport is healthy - for the mind too. Josef Unterberger is convinced of this. That's why the extreme runner and head of IT & Operations at LUMPI-BERNDORF is organizing the Mental Health Marathon with an extensive program of events. He is pursuing several goals with this: he wants to draw attention to the prevalence of mental illness and thus break a taboo. At the same time, he wants to create a community where people can meet informally to exercise. Almost as an aside, he is raising money for a good cause: “At the end, I want to be able to present a large check to pro mente, an organization that offers crisis support for people with mental health issues.”

The run will take place on November 15, 2025, in Zell am See, in relays or various distances. Donations are ongoing – in the truest sense of the word: “Of course, the proceeds from ticket sales will go to pro mente (https://www.promenteaustria.at), but we have already received some sponsorship money from individual companies,” says Josef Unterberger happily. Berndorf AG and LUMPI-BERNDORF are already on the list of sponsors.

Sport as mental hygiene

An event close to his heart and a family project

Organizing the race is a matter close to Unterberger's heart, as he has experienced firsthand within his own family the dangers of hiding depression. That's why his family came up with the idea of raising awareness of the issue with the help of a race. He himself sees sport as a big step toward mental hygiene: “In every marathon, I need the first half to ground myself and calm down, and the second half to think in a meaningful and structured way,” says the athlete.

Organizer as record holder: 85 marathons in one year

From smoker to extreme runner

Josef Unterberger knows what he is talking about, after all, he set an Austrian record last year: He ran a total of 85 marathons, including nine ultra-marathons (runs of 43 kilometers or more) and three Ironman competitions in a single year. That's roughly the distance from Lisbon to Moscow or Vienna to Cairo – and means an average of one marathon every four to five days.

From smoker to extreme runner in six years

Before this achievement by the LUMPI employee, the Austrian record stood at 66 marathons per year. The extreme athlete only quit smoking and started running in 2018. He is modest about his achievement: “I don't run my marathons for speed. For me, finishing a marathon is simply an act of mental hygiene – you've accomplished something big and positive. Thanks to my sport, I function better and, fortunately, don't need any recovery time. This way, a running event can also be combined with sightseeing.” In fact, he has jetted across the globe for his marathons in one year and run in 35 different countries from Toronto to Tokyo.

Josef Unterberger wants to use the publicity he has gained with his record to promote the Mental Health Marathon: "At LUMPI, too, a number of colleagues have already come together to travel and run together. It doesn't have to be a marathon. You can also run just six kilometers or register for a relay. Or perhaps make a financial contribution to a good cause as an entrepreneur," says Unterberger.

Link to the event: www.mental-health-marathon.run

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Betreff: "Sponsoring Mental Health Projekt" oder "Spende Mental Health Marathon"