Erol Mujanović is the director and founder of the Association “Marathon” Sarajevo, a leader in the promotion of recreational running in our country. Association “Marathon” has been pushing boundaries and promoting a healthy lifestyle for a decade and a half, spreading its experiences and resources throughout our country. We talked with Mujanović about how he started running, what are the benefits of this sport, he talked about the various races he participated in around the world and shared with us advice for young runners.
It has already been 15 years since the organization of the first half-marathon and the registration of the “Marathon” Association, and later of the “Klix” Running School. Where did the idea for all that come from?
I got the idea of developing and starting recreational running in BiH, initially through the Sarajevo Half Marathon, and later through the Klix Running School, after seeing the power of recreational running throughout the EU, and especially in France. First of all, as a tool for good health, but also for breaking down barriers between people through sports. The third very strong fact that motivated us all was the great impact on local economic development and tourism. Namely, the “Sarajevo Run Fest” in September brings about 1,000 overnight stays for BiH, with the potential to reach 5 to 10 thousand overnight stays.
All this would not have been possible without my partners for the development of recreational running in BiH (Franjo and Tomo), and without the fantastic team at the “Marathon” Association, none of the success and quality social innovations would have been realized.
The “Klix” running school was a big, and ultimately phenomenal, social experiment because we wanted to enter as many households as possible in Sarajevo and offer them the benefits of recreational running, positivity and great socializing. We had over 1,000 members in the first eight years of the existence of the “Klix” Running School, and today the activity continues successfully through SRC (Sarajevo Running Club).
Physical activity and exercise are your way of life. Why is this lifestyle close to you?
It all started back in 1996 in France. My first run lasted 10 minutes. I started running, to see if I could last ten minutes. I had everything wrong then, both sneakers and clothes (dressed too warm), but when I look back, that initial period was totally cool. I liked it and slowly increased the length and intensity of the training, so soon after that I ran the first half marathon and the first marathon in 1998. There were no finisher’s medals back then, so I have no tangible souvenir of my early running days.
What does running mean to you personally?
Running is my main asset for excellent physical and mental health as well as for stress management and constant good mood. Today, I can no longer imagine a day or a week without doing sports, where running occupies 80% of the program.
On a slightly broader level, running has helped me in every area of my life. I traveled around the world and met fantastic people, I had the opportunity to constantly work on myself and build extremely valuable traits and characteristics through running. It’s hard to list all the good things that have come back to my life after investing time in running and generally playing sports. For example, in the previous few very important job interviews for prestigious foreign organizations, including my current employer, in addition to business skills, the employer was equally interested in everything about marathons, Ironman triathlons and my lifestyle.
Could you share an unforgettable experience or project that had a significant impact on your racing career or personal growth?
Through the almost 20 years of activism that I have in the field of promoting a healthy life and recreational running, there are two large categories of activities that make me extremely proud and that have a special impact on me.
First, I am extremely proud of all the socially responsible events we have done and all the fundraising campaigns through the sale of kilometers at our races. All this helped dozens of people and organizations belonging to different vulnerable groups in BiH. One of the numerous examples is from April 2019, when runners collected 18,000 KM in the campaign “Running for someone with autism” at just one of our events.
The second category of activities, which for me are special, unforgettable and which make me proud, are those which empowered and helped our friends and colleagues throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina to organize the first running event in their cities and communities. This makes me especially happy because together we do much more than any individual organizer of racing events can do. This is something that all of us in the team of the “Marathon” Association were happy to do, transfer knowledge and skills, and help raise funds or organize the first race in a certain city.
What races do you remember?
This is a really tough question because I’ve been running for almost 30 years. Each finisher’s medal, of which there are already over 100, reminds me of a specific event, or race. Running from Europe, through Asia, America and to the Middle East, I divide the events and experiences that I remember into four categories.
Sarajevo under number one, which will always have a special place, because it is the most beautiful city, but also the most difficult to run, because it is difficult to be the organizer and participant of an event at the same time.
Then comes Beirut, the marathon for which I am the Goodwill Ambassador for this part of Europe. It is about another event that has a soul and that is in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, which is also called the Paris of the Middle East.
In the next category, the races that are at the very top of those that I remember are those that my friends organize and where every visit means an unforgettable time with friends. This includes the Dubrovnik half-marathon, Kula Trka mitrijata, Mostar and Banja Luka half-marathons, and of course Split as well as many others. I try to run each of the above events every year.
There are several other particularly dear racing events and friends, but it is impossible to mention them all.
Finally, the top ten “World Major” marathons, and above all the “New York City marathon” and the “London marathon” belong to that list of the top ten favorite or best races that I remember. At each of the mentioned marathons, you have a few million inhabitants who are in the audience and cheer you on during every meter of the marathon. When I think about the organization of these events and the attention to detail, the “Tokyo marathon” is something I have not seen before and it is always fascinating to see the Japanese mind and culture in action.
How to start, for those who are motivated by this text to start?
Through the Running School “Klix”, or “Sarajevo Running Club” as it is called today, I had the opportunity to work with a coaching team, with about 1,000 recreational runners, and I will share with you some of the world’s best practices and answers to your question.
Most people give up running because they start running too fast, or because they want certain results in too short a time. It is necessary to make realistic goals and, in accordance with them, focus on the importance of coming to every training session that is planned. No individual training will bring any surprising results, but the sum of, for example, 100 ordinary trainings per year will already make a small miracle of the results, which in that case cannot be left out. Often the best start to running is a mixture of brisk walking and running. After two or three training sessions of only fast walking for beginners, it is ideal to insert intervals of running into fast walking, thus starting with 5 minutes of fast walking and one or two minutes of slow running, and repeating this several times. If a person who has never run, immediately starts running for 30 minutes, there is little chance that they will succeed, and they can also injure themselves in the process. All this creates an experience that is not particularly pleasant, because it is too difficult and discouraging. Also, nutrition and training are two inseparable entities and it is impossible to work on one without dealing with the other. I always suggest “Sarajevo Running Club” to everyone who is starting out, because in the team there are people who are really good people and good runners, so good fellowship and pleasant running are guaranteed.
It takes about 2 months for the habit to become established in our behavior, so it is necessary that everyone who starts is persistent at the beginning, and after that the positive effects of running will do their own thing and the person will look forward to the next training session.
Is there anything new you want to share with us?
The most recent news is that a few days ago I found out that on 04.15.2024. to have the great and historic privilege of running the “Boston Marathon”. It will also be my sixth and last “World Major marathon”, and in this way I will enter the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina, because “World Major Marathons” finishers from BiH can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
When you think about the generations of young people who went through school, you certainly think about the benefits they carry throughout their lives.
Over 1,000 people have gone through the running school so far, the school is intended for adults who want to change their lifestyle. The benefits of running, which are accumulated throughout life, were one of our main guides and motivations. We have had cases of people who feel so much better that certain health problems disappeared because of playing sports. Many also became even more successful at work because there were also benefits in other life plans, i.e. strengthening of character, willpower, and numerous other things that active sports bring.
How does the public react to the running school, how do they support you, what do you give them in return?
“Sarajevo Running Club” has existed for over ten years. The comments ranged from mocking and ridicule at the beginning, to great support now, because everyone is aware of what he brings to the city and citizens.
However, in general, the public is not a very important actor and participant in the process, because we are focused on individuals (attendees) and on partners who support all the activities of the “Marathon” Association.
Written by: Anđelka Matijević
This story was written thanks to the generous support of the American people through the “LOCAL WORKS” program of the American Agency for International Development in Bosnia and Herzegovina (USAID). The author and “Network for Peace Building” are solely responsible for the content of the story. The views expressed in the story do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
