BALMA: Running madness has completely taken over people. As the organizer of a large running event such as the Bieg Lwa, I would like to ask for a few words of commentary. How do you perceive this? Is it more of a trend or a genuine need for a healthy lifestyle?

Piotr Modzelewski: For several years now, I have been observing the development of amateur running in Poland. Just ten years ago, I was pointed at and mocked. Shouts like "Hey, where are you running to?" were the norm. Now it looks completely different. There is full understanding, dozens of people passing each other, mutual greetings, and constant conversations about running. Although, I must admit that sometimes these conversations can be a bit tiring, they still bring people together and act as a motivator. Very often, they give runners a sense of elitism, belonging to a group, and satisfaction.

I often wonder if running is a trend? Probably in many cases, yes. But fortunately, it is a positive trend. However, I think that for most people, it is a way to maintain their figure, well-being, and health because, besides swimming, running is one of the healthiest forms of activity. Of course, smart running, but more on that later.

Bieg Lwa 2017, Photo: Marika Hanysz

A few words about your passion...

BALMA: How did your adventure with running begin? How long have you been doing it?

PM: I have been doing sports since childhood, specifically soccer. I wasn't an outstanding soccer player, but I was doing quite well. However, as it often happens in contact sports, I suffered a serious injury that excluded me from playing soccer forever. As I enjoyed being active and I am a trainer by profession, I decided to look for a substitute. In 2004, I went to support the marathon runners and then I decided to participate in the race the following year. And that's how it all started.

BALMA: Which of your races do you consider to be your greatest success?

PM: I think that my greatest success is that today I have 24 completed marathons to my name (I did not finish three of them), including about half of them outside of the country. I have the best memories of the Berlin Marathon in 2012 and my personal best time.

BALMA: How do you prepare for running events?

PM: I work professionally, so I treat running as a hobby and a way to relieve stress, because this sport really helps to reduce stress (shall we start running?). Therefore, my preparation is not strongly focused on a specific target race. Of course, training for a marathon requires more discipline, but I try to maintain balance. Before the race, I place great emphasis on recovery and proper diet, but I am not the type of person for whom competitions overshadow the whole world. I can make a decision to participate in a half marathon a week before the race. That was the case recently when a friend suggested: "let's go to Naples."

Bieg Lwa 2017, in the photo: Balma Team, photo: Marika Hanysz

BALMA: Another edition of the Bieg Lwa is coming up. Can you please describe in a few words how these events have evolved, what you pay particular attention to as an organizer, and what idea drives you?

PM: The beginnings of the Bieg Lwa were interesting. Originally, I wanted to organize an event to celebrate the opening of the Western Bypass of Poznań. I talked to the Mayor of Tarnowo Podgórne and told him that I wanted to organize a running event that was completely different from all the others, a collection of experiences from various world runs and cultural-business events. My slogans were "running for the whole family," "a level up," "sport, business, culture," and "perfect organization," which I decided to realize in my municipality. The mayor is a person who likes challenges and is open-minded, so he agreed after the first conversation. All that was left was to roll up our sleeves, gather an organizational team that is not afraid of challenges, has heads full of ideas, and in three months, do what we are now preparing for a year.

Today, having a significant organizational comfort, we implement most, even the most difficult ideas. This year, we are preparing a big surprise for the fans: a demonstration race over 100 meters with the participation of Poland's top runners! There will be participants from the world championships.

I would also like to share the satisfaction we have as Lion Run organizers. In the first edition, about 4% of the residents of the municipality started (out of 750 participants), last year it was already 14% (with 2,200 participants). The residents fell in love with running, and the Bieg Lwa became their holiday. We are grateful to them for that.

BALMA: What are your running goals that you would like to achieve - a dream marathon? :)

PM: My running goal is to replicate the achievement of a certain Sikh - completing a marathon after turning 100 years old. However, I still need to train a bit more to maintain my fitness. I would also like to break the world record for centenarians. I'm not sure if the marathon will still be 42.195 km by then, as it has changed over the years (a topic for those curious to delve into history).

Piotr Modzelewski - his hobby is sports, especially running, and he is an organizer of events such as Bieg Lwa, Triathlon Lwa, Bieg dla Orkiestry, and Mierzęcin Trail.

His goal related to Bieg Lwa is to make it the best running event in Poland.

In just a week, Piotr Modzelewski will share some tips for beginner runners with us!