The gravel crackles under my soles as I walk quickly towards the Café Promenade; October has already bathed the avenue there in a rich yellow-orange color. The cold morning air burns your lungs, but in a way that makes you feel alive. We pass the duck pond and the parking house towards the children’s playground, the former traffic garden is the destination – and the beginning. Because every Saturday at 9 a.m., running enthusiasts and walkers meet there to celebrate together „Park Run“ to deny. Five kilometers, three laps, each person runs or walks at their own pace, as co-organizer and helper Olly Cooley explains. “Everyone is welcome here,” he emphasizes. Looking at the route makes you smile; it is shaped like a duck. The traffic garden is the feet.
The route resembles a duck, the start and finish are the feet © Klz / Lea Blagojevic
The core team of 10 has been organizing the Park Run in Graz for a year now, making it the fourth Park Run city in Austria behind Vienna, Linz and Salzburg. “It will soon also be available in Klagenfurt,” says Cooley. The team of volunteers didn’t invent the Park Run; it was created exactly 20 years ago in Great Britain. Today some 500 people attend the meetings in London. “It all started in London’s Bushy Park. This concept now exists all over the world,” says Richard Zeiner, who now acts as a so-called marshal and shows participants the way to a certain point in the park. “So that no one gets lost,” he says with a smile. “But so far we’ve always gotten everyone to the finish line safely.” The duck’s “beak” is his favorite spot. “You’ll get your own bench there someday,” Cooley jokes.
The Park Run recently celebrated its 20th anniversary in London’s Bushy Park © AP / Alastair Grant
An international community and running dog Cookie
Running leader Sarah Knights gives a short introduction shortly before nine o’clock, but it makes it difficult to pay attention. There is animal companionship not only in the form of the running track and the feathered companions in the duck pond, but also by Knight’s dog Cookie, who steals the show here. There’s always time for a quick cuddle, as the four-legged running companion already knows many of the participants.
Editor Simone Rendl with dog Cookie and owner Sarah Knights © Klz / Lea Blagojevic
In addition to the “regulars,” there are also some newcomers and guests among the runners. Germany, India, Nepal, Czech Republic, Italy – the audience is international, because anyone who is part of the “Park Run Community” can take part anywhere. Many of the volunteers also have British roots, including Cooley. So it’s no wonder that Knight’s introduction is a colorful mix of German and English – after all, everyone should understand the process. Autumn brings obstacles on the route: “There are a lot of chestnuts on the ground at the moment, so be careful when running,” warns Knights. In fact, I later realize, as I try to keep my breathing under control while running, that her warning is not unjustified.
Preparation for the Graz Marathon
In the first round I try to keep up with Elisabeth Lachner and Gabriela Hofer, an endeavor that actually works better than expected. Inwardly, I thank the numerous hours of dance training that I have during the week, which obviously also benefits my fitness. A pace of 6:30 minutes is possible, even if my head resembles a tomato after just a few minutes. Although I almost felt bad at the beginning because of the lack of professional running equipment, I found my rhythm after the first kilometer. Lachner has been running for 15 years, as she says, and she has also run marathons. “I think running really helps you wind down and clear your head,” she says. Hofer also enjoys running, but at the moment she is trying to find her rhythm again. “It’s easy for me to fall out if I don’t pull myself together for a long time,” she admits with a laugh.
Gabriela Hofer and Elisabeth Lachner are traveling together © Klz / Lea Blagojevic
For many, the run is part of their preparation for the Graz Marathon on October 13th, including Peter Dsouza. He originally comes from India, he has been living in Graz for two years and competes in the half marathon. “Last year I ran the entire marathon, there are always far fewer people registered, so after 20 kilometers I was actually alone on the route, with only one runner next to me who was crying out of desperation. Hopefully it will be different this year.” When he tells the anecdote, he has to laugh. “It’s really tiring, you have to manage your strength well, it took me 5:30 hours last year.”
His running companion this Saturday is Irena Milardović, he is her “pacemaker”. “I make sure that she keeps a certain amount of time that she wants to achieve.” While Milardović and I try to concentrate on our goal, Dsouza explains why he enjoys running in Graz more than in his old homeland. “A lot less traffic and you don’t have to worry about getting knocked over,” he jokes. The fact that Dsouza can still talk easily during the run suits Milardović and me. “It’s like a podcast,” she says and laughs. The two are not only running colleagues, but also work colleagues; as a group they do sports on Saturdays. “We are still missing a swimming group,” says Dsouza – has a new idea been born?
Homemade brownies at the finish
I can’t hold a candle to the members of the “Runnin’ Graz” running club. By the time I reach the finish, they’ve already finished, but that’s no surprise given that they do three running sessions a week. Endurance running, relay racing and a public running meeting are, among other things, part of Dominik Osterland’s training week. A pace of four minutes is his long-term goal; he has been running for ten years and is also active as a running coach at “Runnin’ Graz”. He is already looking forward to the Graz Marathon. “We also have our own ‘cheering zone’ there from which we cheer people on and get people in the mood.”
The effort on Saturday morning was certainly worth it for the participants, as home-baked brownies from the “Runnin’ Graz” members were waiting for those arriving at the finish line. Meanwhile, Lena Weyers from Wiesbaden went to the Park Run with her mother while on vacation in Graz. “I lived in Vienna for a year and never made it to Graz, so I wanted to make up for it now,” says the woman from Wiesbaden, who also has half marathon experience. “Running together is always more fun than running alone,” everyone agrees.
After the run comes the coffee
Traditionally, some of the participants go to Café Turner on Karmeliterplatz after the run. “For cocoa and coffee,” as I learn. Some tireless people used the five kilometers as a warm-up lap, and then they continued on to the Mur. My pulse, which has returned to normal after some 161 beats per minute during the run, subliminally tells me that I should probably follow the former group.
