Ex-Germany and Chelsea star swaps football for extreme endurance at Last Soul Ultra

Updated: 23 Nov, 2025 • 0 • min read

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Ex-Germany and Chelsea star swaps football for extreme endurance at Last Soul Ultra

Former Chelsea and Germany forward André Schürrle is once again pushing his body to the limit - this time at one of the world's most gruelling endurance races, the Last Soul Ultra in Germany.

The 2014 World Cup winner, who retired from professional football aged just 29, has reinvented himself in the world of extreme sports.

Since hanging up his boots, Schürrle has run marathons, braved icy endurance challenges and even climbed the Zugspitze, Germany's highest mountain.

Now, he is taking part in an event designed to push even the toughest athletes beyond their breaking point.

What is the 'Last Soul Ultra'?

The Last Soul Ultra is run in the brutal Last Man Standing format.

Competitors must complete a 6.7km (4.71-mile) lap every hour, starting on the hour.

Fail to finish in time, or miss the next start, and you're eliminated.

There is no finish line, no time cap, no pre-set distance.

The race only ends when a single competitor remains - sometimes after days of continuous running.

Earlier this year, Australian runner Phil Gore set a staggering new world record of 119 laps (798km), running for nearly five straight days.

Schürrle: "It’s About the Mind, Not the Body"

Speaking about why he signed up, Schürrle admitted it was the mental battle, rather than the physical grind, that fascinated him.

I'm fascinated by how far you can go when your body is already screaming to stop.

That very moment - when only your head decides - is the core of the Last Soul Ultra.

Despite his growing list of extreme accomplishments, the ex-Borussia Dortmund star insists he doesn't yet see himself as a fully fledged extreme athlete.

There are certain things that I see as challenges.

I want to benefit from these difficult moments in my life. Of course, that also involves extremes. But if I'm honest, I don't feel like I've arrived in extreme sports.

A New Chapter After Football

Schürrle shocked the football world in 2020 when he announced his retirement at just 29, cancelling his contract with Dortmund.

Since then, he has channelled his competitive edge into extreme endurance.

The Last Soul Ultra, which he is also helping to organise alongside running influencer Kim Gottwald, may be his toughest challenge yet.

As Gottwald explained:

With the Last Soul Ultra, we want to create a framework where it's not about times or medals, but about mental strength and the willingness to push yourself beyond your limits.

Every hour decides whether you continue or stop.