Nenad Bozovic: Running a marathon means to rise above yourself

International Sports Day, celebrated every year on 6 April, is dedicated to the importance of physical activity and sport in our lives. This day aims to encourage people globally to participate in various sporting activities and to recognize their role in the development of healthy and happy communities. Sport not only helps in improving physical and mental health, but also plays an important role in developing teamwork, discipline and respect for rules.

International Sports Day is also an opportunity to celebrate inclusivity and solidarity, because sport has the power to unite people regardless of their age, gender, race or nationality. This day is not only an occasion to celebrate victories and sporting successes, but also to encourage everyone to accept sport as part of their everyday lives, in order to lead a better and healthier life. We spoke to Nenad Božović on this topic, who told us all the challenges, but also all the beauties of running and the marathon.

Trn: How did you start running and when did you discover your love for marathons?

Nenad: Before I start answering, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to share my running story as well as the story of the crew with whom we run, act, travel and socialize together. I have tried to do running primarily as a recreation and sports activity several times throughout my life, somewhere 10 years ago and have not stopped continuously until today. That beginning was an attempt to lose weight, and at first, I did not even expect that one day I would be in a position to run a marathon. Of course, before you get there, you need to dedicate yourself and train so that you can run the marathon safely for your health and of course without pain. The first 5km and 10km runs preceded it, then I discovered that there were organized races, then half marathons followed, and as time passed, my appetite for races grew, dedication and motivation brought me to the marathon length. That marathon “journey” would certainly have been much more difficult if I hadn’t had my family around me, as well as the crew I run with, 091RUNCrW -Skopje.

Trn: What does it mean for you to be a marathon runner and what role does sport play in your life?

Nenad: Running a marathon means for me surpassing yourself and this does not only apply to the day of the race or the very act of finishing it. It is a process of preparation, training, discipline and dedication. To be honest, I think that anyone can run a marathon, the marathon is such a length and discipline that it itself will evaluate how much effort you have put in. Sport plays a huge role in my life. Above all, my dedication and discipline were reflected in my family, as a parent, I was very happy when I heard comments from my children like “if dad can do it, we can do it too”. Participation in races in the country but above all abroad, brought me a huge number of new friendships and experiences.

Trn: Running for you is more than just a sport. It is also the promotion of healthy lifestyle habits, activism and exchange of experiences, and the promotion of our country. How does that motivate you plus when you run?

Nenad: To answer this question, I would first like to introduce you to the crew I run with, 091RUNCrW. www.091runcrw.mk

It was formed almost 9 years ago, and mist point out  that it is not an athletic club, it is simply a running crew. The only crew in the country that shares the values ​​of a unique global running movement called “Bridge the Gap” (BTG), which was formed by street runners in New York more than 15 years ago. Today, the map of our running world looks like this Home – Running Crews

The movement promotes overcoming differences, merging diversity, activism in all fields of society, exchange of experiences, mutual support and motivation.

Namely, during the official marathon and half-marathon races in many cities where such BTG crews organize events that bring together all the crews attending the race. The whole weekend is organized by the host crew, starting with welcome drink, a pasta party, support on the day of the race, joint party after the race. It is a huge opportunity to meet new friends, exchange experiences, for us to present our city, our country and our races. Many of our friends have visited us after those gatherings and participated in our biggest racing brand “Skopje Marathon” which we promote wherever we go and we are proud of it both as a brand and as a holiday of sports and recreation in our city. All of these things that I have listed are huge motivation and additional energy for running. Not all of us always run, but that is why we have a motto that says “If you don’t run, you cheer” – a  support and motivation that is highly needed.

Trn: You are currently preparing for an interesting relay race – Eurotrip 2025. Can you tell us more about it?

Nenad: Yes, right now I and the whole crew are focused on a relay race called Eurotrip 2025 https://www.indierunner.nl/eurotrip-all-info . This year will be its 4th edition and will take place from Innsbruck (Austria) to Ljubljana (Slovenia). At the race one team is represented by 8 runners, of which at least 2 are women. It is a relay race in a length of 430km that should be completed in about 36 to 40 hours. 35 teams from all over Europe will participate in the race. The race is logistically quite difficult, in addition to the 8 runners, 8 to 10 people from our crew will be responsible for the support.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our friends who are financially supporting us, but I would also call to individuals and companies who would like to help us. Regarding the organizational and logistical point of view, we are not yet where we want to be, but we hope that we will succeed with the help of friends and companies who want to help. The race will be an excellent opportunity to promote our country, our city, to meet new friends and to invite them to visit us and take part in one of the races in Macedonia.

Trn: Do you have any special moments or achievements from marathons that have stayed in your memory?

Nenad: Every race is a special moment, especially if it’s your first time in a city. But even if you haven’t, running on closed roads in a city is a unique and unforgettable opportunity to get to know that city and see it from a different angle. Will you ever had an opportunity to run or walk on the road, say, in Berlin, on a regular day when the streets are packed with vehicles? Never…

However, I would single out one race that will forever remain in my memory. That is the London Marathon. From the moment I won the bib in a lottery organized by the London Marathon itself, to the 17 weeks of preparation, my personal result (which is certainly far from some athletic top achievements, but for me proof that if you dedicate yourself you will succeed) to the atmosphere on the streets of a metropolis like London, 42 kilometers full of audience, cheering and a vibe that is forever remembered. According to some estimates, despite the rainy day, there were over 1 million people on the route and certainly 50,000 officially registered participants. A day that was worth training for with discipline and dedication.

Trn: How does running affect your physical and mental health?

Nenad: Excellent, primarily physical health, but without physical health there is no mental health. I can say that it helped me a lot in losing weight, while balancing many other health parameters that affect us as we age. Probably if I hadn’t been running, I would have been on a handful of pills for a number of health conditions that unfortunately afflict many of my peers. While the feeling of calm after a workout and the state of mind are really a story in itself. I simply try to disconnect from everyday problems for that hour or hour and a half while the workout lasts, and then it gets easier.

Trn: What would you recommend to beginners who want to start running or participate in a marathon?

Nenad: I would recommend a few things to beginners, to be brave, not to give up because every beginning is difficult, and perseverance and discipline will always reward them. While for those who would like to run more seriously and prepare to run a marathon, even if it was like me, recreationally, they must undergo a medical examination, pay attention to some rules when preparing for the marathon, pay attention to nutrition and not give up in that process, no matter how difficult it may seem at times, I will repeat, everyone can do it.

Trn: What are your goals for the future, do you have any new marathons or sporting challenges in mind?

Nenad: There are always challenges, let’s say I would like to have run all the half marathons in the cities in our neighborhood and the capitals of the countries of our former state, but more than that I would like to run on other continents and of course the big marathons from the Majors Marathons series.

Trn: How do you see the development of sports in your country, especially in terms of running?

Nenad: Here I will answer only in terms of races and running as a sporting activity. I would like the day of the races to be a holiday for the cities where they are held. Citizens should be happy that their city hosts a race, because it is a benefit for their city, and a benefit for the health of those who run and a potential motivation for those who do not run. Imagine that one day in Skopje, 35,000 people are registered for the Skopje Marathon, of which 15,000 are from abroad. Imagine that those 15,000 people from abroad came with an escort. That is 30,000 visitors to the city in one weekend. Do we need to calculate to see what benefit that is?

Trn: On World Sports Day, how do you see the impact of sports on society and what would you like to change or improve?

Nenad: Sports have a huge impact on society. Sports have multiple benefits for people, that is nothing new, if I say that they are very important for the development of children, maintaining health in the adult categories. I won’t say anything about professional sports, because neither I myself nor the crew I run with are professionals, but my personal opinion is that it is a field that needs a lot of reform, and which brings enormous benefits to a country and its citizens. Personally, I would like to actualize and popularize school sports, from a young age, through school sports leagues and the participation of students from all levels of the educational process in various sports. Sports increase children’s self-confidence, sports teach them about defeats and victories. Children who have self-confidence and who know what it is like to lose and win in sports are useful for society and they know how to deal with the problems that everyday life brings. Healthy habits acquired through sports create a healthy society.

 

(Source: Trn)