DJs along the route, pasta in the streets and a 230-metre sound tunnel: the Copenhagen Half Marathon was about more than crossing the finish line first.
Something has happened to running. The morning session ends with coffee, the run becomes a date with friends, and suddenly the run is as big a part of your weekend plans as the dinner afterwards. In Copenhagen last weekend, the social side of running culture took centre stage.
As main sponsor of the World Athletics Road Running Championships, Zalando hosted several days of activities under the name “Run Like a Local”. The programme ranged from running technique and yoga to run-raves and pasta dinners. Even those who weren’t running had good reasons to turn up.
On Saturday, the 5K brought runners and spectators together at Lille Trianglen. On Sunday, the half marathon took over the city. Along the route, friends, family and curious Copenhageners lined up to cheer, while Kamal from the duo Hav & Kamal kept the energy up at Nørrebros Runddel. Towards the end of the race came perhaps the weekend’s coolest feature: a 230-metre tunnel at BLOX, rigged with lights and DJ sets.
A few years ago, a running weekend like this might have been mainly about finishing times. Now the atmosphere around the race has become part of the whole experience. You can come to run five kilometres, cheer on a friend or just join the pasta party afterwards (or the day before).
We think Zalando has its finger on the pulse. Running clubs have become places where people meet, and a run through the city feels quite a bit shorter when more people do it together. After Copenhagen, “Run Like a Local” moves on to Berlin and Rome!