A sunny Sunday morning in Potsdam, the beginning of what we expected to be quite an uneventful day, as there were no ceremonies on the schedule. So, we could relax and go for some easy running. We started with a leisurely run through the impressive and mythical Park Sanssouci, a stately reminiscence of a time gone past.

We ran past myriad statues, monuments, topiaries, hedges, and the Sanssouci castle with its green terraces flowing down, glittering in the early day sunlight.

We stopped at the biggest castle of the area and took some shots.

Many of our runners appreciated the compassionately relaxed tempo of the day. It meant being able to run with a peaceful mind slowly and comfortably, to recover from fast paces and long distances from previous days. It also meant that we were more ready to stop and talk with interested people along the way, which resulted in some nice experiences. For example we had a children’s volleyball team spontaneously come out and run with us for a short stretch, encouraged by their trainers who spotted us from the road.

Also one friendly man who stopped to take a photo and ask some questions turned out to be a reporter, because although he was driving in the opposite direction, he later caught up with us to take an interview. Another reporter also showed up at that same place. He was very positively surprised by the expanse and ideal message of the run, because he said he had no idea of what to expect.

Our route was charmingly scenic with little villages interchanging with forest roads. It was, for the most part, a very quiet day.

We could run through still, pretty sunlit villages without seeing a single person. On most roads only a few cars drove by, on some not a single one. So, if a bird would glance down from above during the day it would probably see a vast expanse of field and forest, silent, serene and unmoving, save a lone runner with a torch moving southwards, moving forward, unnoticed.

In Wittenberg, a town with solid beautiful classical eastern German architecture, silence changed to sound, emptiness to fullness. It was Sunday market day and the squares and streets were filled with happy people, shopping and amusing themselves.

Here, we were very generously accommodated by the first class hotel Best Western. Being in such a good hotel was a new and thrilling experience for some of our runners. It also had a wellness centre with saunas, which could be very happily appreciated by sore muscles and tired bodies. We ate a savoury dinner at the fancy hotel restaurant.

They had even made an especial dinner card for the World Harmony Run, which was displayed on the table. Everybody was very impressed and had a good time. Then it was time to make ourselves ready for sleep. The beds were maybe even a bit too comfortable :)

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Distance: 100km

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