Why I Love Volunteering at the Finish Line

Last Sunday was one of my favourite days of the year: the Berlin Half Marathon.

For the past few years, I’ve been one of the many volunteers behind the scenes. And almost every time, I end up at my favourite spot: handing out finisher medals. Not gonna lie, that’s the jackpot.

There’s always a mix of familiar faces and new people joining in, and somehow it just clicks every single time.

Standing at the finish line with a medal in hand, you see it all.

Runners cross the line in every possible state — sprinting, stumbling, laughing, crying, often all at once. And those faces… they say everything.

You see pure joy, relief, and pride. And sometimes that quiet moment of “Did I really just do that?”

The ones who didn’t even expect to make it hit differently. For a brief moment, you get to be part of something really big in their personal story.

Compared to last year’s marathon, things were much calmer on the medical side. The weather was far more forgiving and easier on the system — and, of course, it’s “only” half the distance 😉

I’m already looking forward to the marathon in September.

Originally posted on LinkedIn.