Running With Strangers in Europe — Here Is What Happened

Running with strangers across Europe was the challenge. I know a lot of runners in America. I could probably go to any of the 50 states and find someone to run with me. But on this trip, I traveled to four countries in Europe with one goal: do nothing but running with strangers and find somebody to run with in each, whether that meant joining a run club, connecting with a stranger on Instagram, or literally picking someone up off the street.

The Rules of the Challenge

There were only two rules. First, I could not miss a single day of training — the season was coming up and I needed to be in shape. Second, I had to find someone to run with in every country I visited. No prior connections, no friends waiting for me. Just me, my running shoes, and whatever social courage I could muster in countries where I barely spoke the language.

Starting in Kansas City

Before flying to Europe, I organized my own run club in my hometown of Kansas City. I was genuinely nervous that nobody would show up, but people came. I met runners like Isaac Smith doing 14 miles, Riley Johnson doing 12, and Drew going 14 to 15. We did a long run together and I asked them what challenges they thought I would face abroad. The consensus was language barriers, which turned out to be exactly right.

Switzerland — Two Strangers and a Run Club

Switzerland was my first stop, and I was blown away by the running culture. On my first run, I was completely lost trying to navigate back to my hotel when I ran into a guy named Silon. He did not speak much English and I spoke zero German, but he pointed me in the direction of my hotel and we ran about a mile together. That interaction alone made the whole trip worth it.

Later, I found a run club in Zurich. One of the members, Yasmine, greeted me and introduced me to the group. We ran through the streets of Zurich and it was one of the most beautiful runs I have ever done. The group was incredibly welcoming, and afterward they taught me some Swiss German phrases. The experience reminded me that running communities exist everywhere — you just have to seek them out.

Running With Strangers Through Language Barriers

One of the biggest challenges of this series was communication. In Switzerland, most people spoke at least some English, which made things easier. But even when language was a barrier, running bridged the gap. Silon and I barely exchanged words, but the shared experience of running together created an instant connection. He told me that he learned languages not in school but through spending time with people from other countries — something I found deeply relatable as an athlete who has always connected with others through sport rather than words.

What Running With Strangers in Europe Taught Me

The biggest takeaway from this experience was that running is a universal language. Even when I could not communicate verbally with the people I ran with, there was an instant connection the moment we started moving together. The Zurich run club did not need to know my personal records to welcome me into their group. Running strips away all the surface-level barriers and connects people on a fundamental level.

If you are a runner traveling abroad, I cannot recommend joining a local run club enough. Download Strava, search for groups, throw a message on your Instagram story — whatever it takes. The connections you make will be the highlight of your trip, and the miles will feel completely different when you are sharing them with someone new.

Want to see the individual country episodes? Check out running with a stranger in Germany for one of the wildest experiences.