The Barefoot Beginning: The Legend of Lothar Columbus

Before super shoes, carbon plates, and GPS watches, there was Lothar Columbus — Wartburg College’s first conference champion in cross country, and the original soul (and sole) of Lothar Running.

The year was 1963. The Wartburg Knights’ cross country program was still in its infancy, having launched just four years earlier in 1959. But Lothar didn’t wait for history to catch up — he made it. With nothing but grit, grace, and a pair of calloused feet, he ran his way into the record books as the college’s first conference champ.

That’s right — Lothar ran completely barefoot. Always. Grass, gravel, mud, frost — didn’t matter. While others laced up, Lothar laced in — into the rhythm of the run, the joy of the journey, and the quiet confidence of someone who knew that greatness doesn’t come from gear, but from guts.

We named our team Lothar Running not just to honor a champion, but to carry forward a spirit:

• A spirit of Character, forged in the fire of hard work.

• A Culture that lifts others up, no matter their pace.

• And a Consistency that shows up, rain or shine, shoes or no shoes.

So when you see us out there — high-fiving at the finish, laughing through the long runs, or chasing dreams with dirt on our soles — know that we’re running in the footsteps of a legend.

For the love of the run. For the legacy of Lothar.