While i was preparing my suitcase for my trip in Graz, in order to participate in a weekly educational seminar around citizenship journalism, some serious questions were spinning inside my head. Should i take my running shoes with me? Will i find spaces were i could run without the fear of being run over by a car? And even if, will i be a strange amongst strangers? After some hours of brainstorming around this problem, and without being so sure about it, i finally throwed my shoes in my suitcase and closed it behind me. After all, what is life without risks.

Next day, i arrived in Graz late in the afternoon. The sky was clear and the temperature was good. No sign of rain, i thought. Maybe tomorrow i will try to go for running. The rain, the dump and the clouds on the rolling sky next morning, were laughing on me. That of course didn't discourage me from taking a morning walk. So around eight i went out. Graz is a beatiful city to walk around. Eventhough the raindrops were falling gently on people's heads, you could see them riding their bicybles looking very comfortable with that. So while the time was passing by just walking and looking around, i was sinking in my thoughts ... The architecture of the buildings, so delicate. And these parks so lovely. Look at the river Mur. These waters seem cold. I would'n like to test it. Look at this guy running, with his shorts and shorts sleeves ... Excuse me? A runner. No, my eyes not fooling me. Wait a minute. There is another one turning around the corner. And a third, and a woman over there, and a ... It was like a conspiracy of runners was reaveling in front of my eyes. That was it. Even with wind, rain or snow, next morning i was going for running.

I met at the reception at eight with Baiba, a girl from Latvia with whom i participated at the seminar and shared the same love about running. The weather was a little bit cold but the sun coming up behind the ceilings was promising. We started running on Kepplerstraad until we reached the bridge above river Mur. There we turned right and continued running next to the river for about two hudred meters. We went inside a glass tube above river Mur, up and down some stairs until we found our selfes running into a small path. And there, in this path, with the trees surrounding us and the waters of Mur roaring friendly into our ears i discovered a ''brave new world''. Youngsters and elderly, middle – aged people, fathers with their children, men and women, even dogs with their bosses, were running up and down.

For some unknown reason i feel happy when i see other people running. If this is the criteria of happiness for me, then i can say that i felt lot of times happy in Graz. People there run in the morning, in the afternoon or at night. When it's raining or it has cold. In Graz i discovered a running culture so simple and so regural, that i don't find back home. As i said before Graz maybe a great city to walk but it's even greater to run. It is built in a way not only to provide but also to promote running in open spaces. So if you are planning to visit this city, even if you are not a serious runner, throw a pair of snickers to your suitcase. You will have the opportunity to become a part of a unique world that it's breathing in the heart of Graz.