In the seven-year history of the Nike+ Run Club in Budapest, Hungary, local runners have sparked a transformation of the sport in the city. Budapest, which hosts famous marathons and possesses an impressive athletic heritage, is seeing a rise of an urban running movement.
Runners in the local Nike+ Run Club get together five times a week for a fast and strong loop around Margaret Island, a Budapest running hotspot. However, every now and then the runners shake up their routine by hosting a session in an unexpected location or by celebrating personal achievements of its members in a special way.
This time, the Budapest Nike+ Run Club took their run to the runway.
Nike celebrated the Hungarian running community and the peak of the race season with a 12K relay race on the runway of Terminal 1 of the Budapest Airport.
The Runway Run drew approximately 600 participants, including Hungarian model and former professional middle distance runner, Johanna Szikszai. The 23-year-old’s passion for the sport began well before her modeling career, and she made it all the way to the Hungarian National Track and Field Team. Szikszai fell in love with the sport, training seven times a week with the team and picking up wins against tough competition. Today, running remains a way for her to stay strong and explore the cities she visits.
“I try to move my body every day. It keeps me relaxed and brings me happiness,” Szikszai said. “My experience in sport helped me grow personally; I learned to work hard for the success, to be a part of the team.”
“Sport is still an essential part of my life. I now combine running with other types of training like yoga and boot camp to switch it up,” she said. “I was excited for the Runway Run — the location made it so special,” Szikszai added. “It is amazing to see how the sport is becoming more popular and more social. For me, it was always a way to meet friends, feel a team spirit and share amazing experiences with other people.”
The Runway Run wasn’t just an enjoyable event for Szikszai; she also considered the race a personal challenge.
“It was a great to have some fun with the crowd, but I also had a serious training program to get ready for the race and I wanted to show a good result,” Szikszai said. “In sport, like in anything else, I always want to improve and win.”
Szikszai completed her 6K challange of the Runway Run while sporting the latest Nike Women's apparel collection and a new colorway of the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 31.
Read More: Nike Running Events