Runners4All - European Students Run

Aligned with European initiatives and HealthyLifeStyle4All Youth Ideas Labs, project encourages civic engagement through sports, promoting health-enhancing activities focusing on mental health, solidarity integration, an eco-friendly approach and empowered young voices. Integrating with events like the European Students Run, it emphasizes inclusive activities such as running, specifically targeting students as experienced runners and also complete beginners.

Crucially, project aims for long-term outcomes, promoting running as a fundamental, accessible sport for all ages. The project's intergenerational approach motivates individuals of all ages to adopt healthy habits through sports, fostering values like tolerance, achievement, respect, and honesty. Runners4All incentivizes students, promoting European and sports values, strengthening motivation, and enhancing mental well-being.

Involving diverse populations in running, including inactive individuals, recreational athletes, and those with disabilities, contributes to social cohesion and personal growth. The project emphasizes civic engagement, participation, relationship-building, and fostering a healthy society. 

The main event of the project will be the European Students Run, which will be organised as part of the NLB 29th Ljubljana Marathon on Sunday, October 19, 2025: https://ljubljanskimaraton.si/en/.

As part of the Runners4All project, we are carrying out research in order to best prepare for the run and how to better support the participants in organisation of the event.

Two surveys have been launched - one for participants, and one for the organisers of running events. Your input is extremely important to us. The information gathered will be used for preparation of the event, and form part of recommendations for future organisers. The surveys are open until April 6, 2025. Data will be analysed by the EUSA Institute, associated partner of the project.

Between May 13 and 15, a series of Runners4All Project workshops took place online as a key component of the project’s mission to prepare students for the European Student Run.

On Thursday, June 12, 2025, the project held an important follow-up seminar online. The seminar focused on implementation updates, addressing current challenges, and planning upcoming summer and early autumn activities. It marked a strong step forward in building momentum for the summer phase of Runners4All and continuing to inspire students across Europe to run together, learn together, and grow together.

On September 17, an official press conference of the Marathon and the European Students Run was held at the Ljubljana City Hall. The event was used to highlight the record-breaking participation of students, children, and running enthusiasts. The press event provided key insights into the marathon’s organization, safety measures, and community initiatives that make the event a major sporting highlight in Europe. A day prior, on September 16, 2025, all partners of the Runners4All – European Students Run project gathered for an online partnership meeting to review the latest developments and coordinate activities ahead of the marathon weekend.

The day before the Marathon, the Beyond the Finish Line Conference took place in Stozice Sports Hall in Ljubljana. The conference was closed with final remarks reflecting on future commitments and goals, particularly focusing on how to expand and evolve Runners4All across Europe. 

Young participants shared their enthusiasm for continuing to engage in cross-border runs, organizing local events, and promoting a culture of well-being among their peers.

On October 19, the inagurial edition of the European Students Run became a reality, with an exceptional number of 1922 registered participants from 54 universities and 18 countries amongst the record number of total registered participants of 19.379 - the overall participants of the Ljubljana marathon, including the three official distance runs.

The event offered an opportunity for students and recent graduates aged 18–30 to take part and race in the three distances of the event: 10 km, 21 km (half-marathon), or 42 km (full marathon). In addition to the great number of student runners achieved, a wider EUSA Family group, including partners, supporters and friends, joined in the main marathon program.

The event has been organised in cooperation with Timing Ljubljana, City of Ljubljana, and EUSA; hosted in the Slovenian capital, where the EUSA headquarters are located. The first edition attracted 1922 student participants, from 54 universities of 18 countries, amongst the record number of total registered participants of 19.379 - the overall participants of the Ljubljana marathon, including the three official distance runs.

Runners from more than 80 countries took to the streets of the capital under sunny skies, achieving the largest participation in the history of the event – ​​more than 19,000 runners on Sunday and a total of 29,000 runners in two days.

Runners4All - European Students Run project is co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Runners4All - Participants' survey: https://forms.gle/jjjuqdkWoPFoumQ47
Runners4All - Organisers' survey: https://forms.gle/pLtLtF8b9VEt342s8

Project Partners:
Applicant/Coordinator: Timing Ljubljana (Slovenia)
University sport coordinating partner: EUSA Institute / EUSA institut (Slovenia)
Other associated partners:
Austria: Special Olympics Austria / Special Olympics Österreich Behindertensportverein (SO Austria)
Croatia: Croatian Academic Sports Federation / Hrvatski akademski sportski savez (CASF/HASS)
France: French University Sport Federation / Fédération Française du Sport Universitaire (FFSU)
Germany: German University Sports Federation / Allgemeiner Deutscher Hochschulsportverein (ADH)
Hungary: Hungarian University Sports Federation / Magyar Egyetemi Föiskolai Sportszövetség (HUSF/MEFS)
Italy: Venice University Sports Center / CUS Venezia & Calabria University Sports Center / CUS Reggio Calabria
Latvia: Latvian University Sports Federation / Latvijas Augstskolu Sporta Savieniba (LUSF/LASS)
Lithuania: Lithuanian Students' Sports Association / Lietuvos studentu sporto asociacija (LSSA)
Netherlands: Student Sports Association the Netherlands / Studentensport Nederland (SSN)
North Macedonia: University Sports Federation of Macedonia / Univerzitetska sportska federacija na Makedonija (USFM)
Poland: University Sports Association of Poland / Akademicki Zwiazek Sportowy (AZS)
Portugal: Portuguese Academic Federation of University Sport / Federação Académica do Desporto Universitário (FADU)
Slovenia: Municipality of Ljubljana / Mestna občina Ljubljana (MOL) & University of Ljubljana / Univerza v Ljubljani (UL)
Spain: University of Barcelona / Universitat de Barcelona (UB)
Turkiye: Turkish University Sports Federation / Türkiye Üniversite Sporları Federasyonu (TUSF)

More information:
- Runners4all - European Students Run official page
- NLB Ljubljana Marathon
- Runners4All Erasmus+ Project Info card