In August 2014, I laced up my running shoes for the first time, with no grand expectations — just a simple desire to move after a few months stuck when my first daughter was born, to feel better, to take control of me. I was far from athletic: weighing nearly 80 kilograms (almost 20 kg more than today), with no endurance, no rhythm, and definitely no running background (exception made of some runs in my mid 20’s :-)). But I made myself a promise: I would be stubborn, consistent, and patient. No matter the weather — rain, wind, snow, scorching heat, storms — I would run in a systematic way every week.
Today, more than ten years later, I realize how far that simple decision has taken me. As of now, I have accumulated 10,127 kilometers running. To put that into perspective, that’s the distance from Madrid, my hometown, all the way to Ulaanbaatar the capital of Mongolia (and 500 km more!). No, I didn’t run it all in one go — but step by step, week by week, year after year, I’ve covered the ground.
As a Geographer and a specialist in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the process of tracking these kilometers has been more than just recording numbers. It’s been an exciting virtual journey across continents, imagining the landscapes I would have crossed if I had truly set out on foot:
- Crossing the endless fields of Eastern Europe,Traversing the towering peaks of the Caucasus,
- Skimming the shores of the Caspian Sea,
- Passing through the endless Kazakh steppes,
- Climbing into the vastness of Siberia,
- Finally arriving at the green valleys surrounding Ulaanbaatar.
Beyond the physical journey, running has also become a fascinating Spatial exercise. Over the years, I have been mapping my runs, analyzing patterns, studying how my routes changed with seasons, cities, and circumstances. Using GIS tools, I have created heatmaps showing the areas where I ran most frequently, density analyses of my favorite urban paths, and even calculated cumulative elevation gains that rival mountain summits. It’s been incredible to see how Geography — my professional passion — and running — my personal discipline — intertwine so naturally.
Each map tells a story: the well-trodden loops of my local park, the spontaneous detours exploring unfamiliar neighborhoods, the silent straight lines of early morning runs along deserted beaches. Visualizing these patterns reminds me that behind every data point lies a lived experience, a choice, an effort. Running has not only carried me across kilometers, but it has also allowed me to turn my own movement into a living, breathing geographic project.
In reality, my runs have taken place in diverse and fascinating locations: Spain, France, Portugal, Tunisia, China, South Africa, Peru or Chile. Every place added its own flavor — the paves flooring of some European cities, the dusty trails of African landscapes, the humid mornings in Asia, the cool breezes of South America. Running has become a way to experience the world, one step at a time.
My “ultimate” destination, however, lies even further away. My dream endpoint is Yelizovo, in the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia — a place of volcanoes, forests, and pure wilderness. From Madrid, it would take approximately 14,081 kilometers to get there.
I still have about 3,954 kilometers to go (I say “about” as there’s no proper Camino to get there) — and while I’m realistic enough to know that I may never “arrive” in a literal sense, the beauty lies in the pursuit itself. As we say in Spanish: El que la sigue, la consigue — where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Beyond the numbers, which I love (3 marathons, 38 half marathons, 453 runs over 10km, 82,396m of elevation gain, 9 pairs of running shoes), running has changed me deeply, both physically and mentally. It has taught me the power of perseverance, of stubbornness in the best sense. When you set a goal and keep moving toward it — no matter how small each step may seem — you build something extraordinary. Ten years ago, I couldn’t run for more than a minute without stopping. Today, running feels like breathing, like thinking, like a natural part of who I am.
The kilometers have sculpted my body, certainly (well, sort of ;-)) — from nearly 80 kilograms down to a stable 65 kg — but even more importantly, they have sharpened my mind. They have taught me resilience, patience, focus. Running has been my therapy, my meditation, my discipline, and my freedom.
To anyone reading this: I encourage you to pick your own metaphorical destination. Maybe it’s not 10,127 kilometers away in Ulaanbaatar, maybe it’s learning something new, improving your health, mastering a skill. Whatever it is, stay stubborn. Stay consistent. You will get there.
Step by step, day by day, you’ll arrive. I’m sure of it.
Alberto C.
GIS analyst and running lover
Geovisualization.net 
that’s a long run my friend, you know how proud I feel, as well as honoured to have been part of those numbers by your side!!
same here!!