We started our run one afternoon in December 2019, hoping to have a smooth path to the blessed finale. There were one, two, three lots of runners who joined us on the way until, after a short run, we reached the wall of COVID. The runners stopped, not knowing what to do, some went away and spent some time in isolation and loneliness, some tried to climb the wall, but nobody could. The trainers walked away in deep sadness and with twisted thoughts about how to continue the run to better health, wellbeing and community. Right in the middle of this quiet journey we felt a faint current of fresh news and air coming through the heavy clouds of uncertainty and fear. People were adapting to the new reality and starting to join the team and follow the path to better health and social relationships. The participants invited each other, so we felt the power of a role model and confidence. It was great to be able to organise more new groups at the same time to make up for lost time. New leaders, trainers and coaches came to continue the journey.

Soon we grew into a huge movement of 36 groups and hundreds of participants, some from as far away as Ukraine, and the Fellowship helped them to feel at home and relieved in a safe environment. We met and shared the moment during massive celebrations in the beautiful surroundings of Kaunas and it was a truly inspiring journey.

We also had remarkable meetings to discuss what we can do for ourselves a nd the community, how to take the involved activities to another step after the finish. And we discovered that after the finish there can be a new start, we just have to think about how to make it possible, how to involve more people, how to get some funds or other help needed. This is how the “we can do it” formula was born and some of us made a plan to continue what has a positive impact on all of us. New ways of staying on the road were discussed and accepted by some groups and they made a new start after the end.

The trainers and leaders also learned a lot. We were particularly amazed and involved in the process of transforming some participants from a sofa league to a healthy squad, and we now know an approach to embedding the concept of sustainable development in different trainings and activities.

Our amazing run of 42 months and hundreds of good emotions has come to an end, but we hope to be back on the start line together again soon!