Day two began unlike any other of the rest of the days would; it began with a run. I did not have to get up right away since the half did not start until 10:30 am. I used some of the time to grab another charger and soak in the exhilarating air of the half marathon start. All sorts of people gathered in the town, visitors to Zermatt, perhaps there to spectate the European mountain running championship held the following day, friends and family of the half marathoners or the relay members at the exchange point. I basked in the intoxicating feel of the runners about the begin their journey.
After a long way, a consequence of waiting too long to register means a bib from the last forral, we finally started running through the town. I recapped the race already so I won’t repeat myself. Instead, I will highly recommend racecations. This race challenged me physically but also provided some of the most amazing views I have ever laid eyes on, views that I would not have seen in the easily accessible portions of the Swiss Alps. The switchbacks in the first half of the race provided panoramic vistas of the iconic Matterhorn while the back half of the race took us off the beaten path to provide mountain goat imitation practice and glimpses of Alpine lakes, surely full of icy cold, refreshing spring water.
Once I made my way back down into the town of Zermatt, riding a train right beside the path of hardy souls still completing the race, I had the afternoon to clean up and explore. I walked beside the rushing stream likely still the recipient of copious snow melt even in early July. I soon reached the end of the town but walked a little further along the river, soaking it all in.
On the return journey, I met a herd of mountain goats with bells, lead by goat herders in traditional costumes, much more Heidi-esque than my upcoming trip to Heidiland.
Shortly before I reached my airbnb I stopped, finding myself blocked by the parade of nations for the next days European Mountain Running Championships.
If I had known, I might have arranged my trip so that I could take in some of the race. I loved seeing the delegations with the leader, or in a few cases, the only representative, carry the flag. Since I came across the end of the procession, I do not know what came next in the ceremonies but I loved the experience of coming together with hundreds of strangers to celebrate their countries and the momentous achievements of these athletes to get to this point.
Back in my airbnb, I thought back on the countries those athletes represented and smiled with anticipation of visiting them in the coming days. The adventures had just begun.
