The slow run

Running is usually a solitary sport or is it?

Enter the one single running competition in Romania where it’s mandatory to run alongside 2 other runners that form your team. You get disqualified if you put more than a few meters between each other. 😱

“Gerar” half-marathon reached it’s 13th edition this winter. I was eager to participate again after running it in 2017. The problem? I needed a team. 2 other runners willing to run in a circle for 6 times to reach 21 km.

My old teammates from 2017 aren’t running anymore so I needed to gather fresh blood. Here come Radu and Horia. They started running seriously last year and were in the mood for a little race.

Our team’s name: “The slows” 😂- I swear we had a democratic vote about it 😇

We settled on one objective: have fun and finish the race.

We talked a lot, laughed, made fun and motivated each other up the hill. The first 3 laps went past like a breeze. Running with a group has this effect, your mind has other things to think about.

The 2nd part was harder, we started doing bits of walking to recharge, but things looked well: we were not the last ones. 😅

The sunlight faded, the streetlights began to glow. Our team was in hurt, but we were pushing forward.

When you run alone it’s you against you, you with you. Now we were 3 people together against the last kilometers. There’s a cozy feel of comradery, a few last minute jokes and a feeling of urge for a beer and food.

We went past the finish line one last time. We had finished. Medals arrive. Let’s take a photo. The boys had hit new personal bests. We had finished 7th place … from the end. Not so shabby. We had fun. Now bring us some beers, cheers!