Why New Year’s Eve is Just an Excuse (to Run a Race at Midnight)

Yes, I ran a race at midnight. Not just any race at midnight, but the Neujahrsmarathon 10K on New Year’s Eve in Zurich, Switzerland. To be honest, I couldn’t think of a better way to ring in the New Year of 2016 than starting it off quite literally on the right foot, with a bang.

The turn of the New Year is traditionally a time of introspection, of reflection, of setting goals for the future and learning from our past. It is an opportunity, an excuse, for many of us to finally do the thing we’ve been meaning to do, or move closer to this or that goal.

What surprised me about this New Year is that while I was mentally ready for that release, as if something would almost physically wipe my slate clean, the moment didn’t shower me with feelings of hope and rejuvenation. When the gun went off at midnight, and people around me started screaming and celebrating (and running), I was aware of the fact that I didn’t feel anything particularly magical. I also realized it was because my personal transformation had already taken place.

I have been on a challenging journey lately, and as I’ve gone through it over the past months, I feel I’ve made the necessary changes and turned the corners I’ve needed to turn at the times that were appropriate for turning them.

I didn’t wait for the New Year.

Instead of the anticipated relief of the strike of midnight, I found myself basking in the joy of the moment, the sparklers, fireworks, and the thrill of running in the dark with a ton of strangers in a foreign land. It was just a party in running shoes, and I wasn’t caught in the lessons of my past or the goals of my future, I was in my present.

I think I ran the entire 10K with a smile on my face, invigorated by the excitement of the run itself. My brother was also running next to me for the entire race, which has never happened before. Everyone who knows us knows that he is the natural, faster runner in the family. I love running, and I love to challenge myself, but I’m not the one you’ll see winning races like my big brother.

However, that night, at midnight, under the fireworks, in the cold, dark of Switzerland, my 10K time was a personal best. It was the first thing I accomplished in 2016, and I can’t be more proud of myself for that.

Running has been a constant companion and catalyst for personal growth for me this year. It has lifted me up when I needed it. It has given me the space to think, to reflect, to let go, to gain strength, and to rediscover who I am at my core. It has played a major role in helping me get through every stage of the rollercoaster that is my life these days, and I am certain that it will continue to do so.

We don’t have to wait for the New Year to begin anew or make a change in our lives. While it’s a great excuse, that’s all it is. If we want to change something, we have to really want it and change it ourselves. A New Year isn’t going to change anything except the date. Starting 2016 with a PR was more than I could have hoped for in a midnight race, but, it turns out that I had it in me the whole time.

Watch my story from that day:

Thanks to Eurail for the train passes that got us to Zurich.