Taking center stage on the square in front of the Holzlaube, Professor Günter M. Ziegler, president of Freie Universität Berlin, officially opened this year’s Summer Fest. “After two years of waiting, this is truly something special,” he said, addressing the crowd of several hundred people waiting in the square between the arcades last Thursday at 5:00 p.m. Whether standing in the shade of the cherry trees or basking in the late afternoon sun, everyone had gathered to celebrate Freie Universität Berlin as a community.

“I made a promise long ago that there would be free beer,” said Professor Ziegler before tapping the beer keg that had been placed prominently on the stage, alluding to the fact that the Summer Fest was originally planned to take place in 2020.

Summer Fest Meets Campus Run

This is the seventh time Freie Universität has held its Campus Run, but the first time that the run was held in conjunction with another event. It was the University Sports Center (UniSport) that came up with the idea to combine the two. Director Christian Mundhenk is delighted with the turnout; a record 1110 people signed up for the Campus Run. Once the registration deadline had passed, Mundhenk and his team were able to confirm what they had hoped for – the event was completely sold out.

Fun for All Ages

Last week on June 16, these preparations finally came to fruition. More than one thousand runners of all ages gathered for the Campus Run – a record-breaking number of participants despite temperatures of almost thirty degrees. The maximum distance runners could sign up for was ten kilometers, with shorter distances of seven and a half or five kilometers also an option. Children ran a distance of one kilometer.

A girl completing the Kid’s Run sprints towards the finish line. Her father, who is running with her, can barely keep up. “Should we look out for her in the next Olympic Games?”, asks the moderator in the finishing area. “Definitely,” pants the proud father, exhausted. “And are you going to take part in the ‘big kids’ run afterwards?” “I don’t think so,” laughs the man, preferring to help himself to a bottle of water.

“You’re not even sweating!”

Some other runners seem not to have exerted themselves at all. “You’re not even sweating!”, exclaims the moderator as two runners cross the finish line. Both of them laugh. “We’re from India,” says one. “It’s currently forty degrees over there, so we’re able to cope with twenty-six degrees here in Berlin without too much trouble.”

Bipin P. Varghese, doctoral researcher and deputy registrar at the University of Hyderabad, and Ruthramoorthy Senthamaraikannan from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, are visiting Freie Universität as part of a management training course. When asked if they wanted to join the run as part of Team Global, organized by Freie Universität’s Division of International Affairs, the pair spontaneously decided to sign up.

Now they sit in the shade near the finish line, wearing their blue Team Global shirts and thinking back on the run. “I was a little nervous that I wouldn’t be able to complete the race,” says Senthamaraikannan, smiling, “but we were cheered on every meter of the way.” Tomorrow, Varghese and Senthamaraikannan will continue their course before heading off on a tour of other universities across Germany and Europe.

Bringing People Together

When taking a look at the range of events that make up the Summer Fest, including the Campus Run, Abhishek Kumar, another deputy registrar at the University of Hyderabad and participant in the management training course at Freie Universität, says, “The most important thing is to connect with people. Events like these are full of lifelong friendships just waiting to be made.”

He now plans to organize a Campus Run of his own back in India. He would be delighted to return the favor and host guests from Freie Universität at similar events at the University of Hyderabad.

Something for Everyone

Among the friends, employees, and students of Freie Universität who attended the event was a genuine Olympian. Caterina Granz competed in the women’s 1500 meters at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games and won gold at the World University Games in Naples two years prior. She currently studies psychology at Freie Universität Berlin. Despite being in the middle of preparations for the German championships, she took the time to visit the Campus Run. Speaking before the race, she described how running helps her enter a “flow state.” She also took part in the award ceremony with the university’s president, Professor Günter M. Ziegler.

As part of a spontaneous gesture, Ziegler presented Sebastian Eichner with a running shirt and the starting number 2023. Eichner was the quickest finisher in the category “non-binary,” a third gender category available to participants this year. Ziegler had just received the shirt himself to ensure that the event is repeated next year. Things look promising – Ziegler wishes to participate himself in 2023: “While I may not be a professional athlete, running is fun.”

“Run at your own pace. We’re here to have a good time”

“Fun” is definitely the right word – the combined Campus Run and Summer Fest was enjoyed by an estimated two thousand visitors. From the spectators who cheered on a latecomer to the race, to those who browsed the range of stands run by sponsors and other groups, to the partygoers who danced to live music until 9:00 p.m., the 2022 Summer Fest proved to be one of the hottest events of the year so far.

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This article originally appeared in German on June 20, 2022, in campus.leben, the online magazine of Freie Universität Berlin.