“Regular exercise such as running is an ideal preventive measure to activate the metabolism and thus to prevent diabetes,” said Professor Michael Roden, scientific director and chairman of the board of the DDZ. “In Germany, around 600,000 people develop diabetes every year. The most important risk factors for type 2 diabetes include familial predisposition, environmental factors but also an unhealthy lifestyle. We want to do something to counteract this and send a positive signal,” Roden added. The DDZ staff members completed their respective relay legs out of different motivations – to achieve his/her personal best time or simply to enjoy the race despite the wind. In the end all of them were winners.