With photographs and a map showing all 28 Stages of Steve's year-long Challenge
RUNNING: ME RUNNING EU
ISBN 978-0-9569670-7-7
Published in March 2024 by Mot Juste
Size 156 x 234mm
264 pages in softcover, includes photographs and a map showing all 28 Stages.
£10.99 + postage
WHEN THE UK VOTED TO LEAVE THE EUROPEAN UNION in 2016, Stephen Doswell decided to lace up his running shoes and head in the opposite direction – back to Europe, but in his own way.
He set himself a goal – to raise money for two causes he cared about, by running in every country of the EU before the original Brexit deadline – 28 countries, 12 months, 2 charities, 1 pair of feet!
Here he tells the story of what it is to embark on an adventure of your own making at the tender age of 61. In Running: Me Running EU Stephen shares an exhilarating roller-coaster of his journey full of experiences across Europe.
Read Stage 5 – "Belgium: Gent Running Team and the Torchlight embrace"
Stage by memorable stage, Stephen records the progress of this highly individual challenge. You’ll meet the people he met and get a glimpse of Europe’s lesser-known heritage away from the big cities. Places, history, personalities, personal reflections – it’s all here. There’s plenty for runners, too, and anyone else who’s willing to be inspired by personal adventures. Running: Me Running EU will take you on the journey.
About the author
Stephen Doswell is a corporate communication specialist and a linguist. His short story Vinjeta Vignettes was published in 2023 in English and Slovene as part of a collection to mark 30 years of diplomatic relations between the UK and Slovenia. He grew up in south London and has a strong emotional attachment to his ‘ancestral homeland’ south of the Thames. He lives in Birmingham and is an active member of the city’s running community. Running: Me Running EU is his first full-length published book.
1 Spain – Port de Pollença
2 France – Nantes
3 United Kingdom – Catton Park
4 Italy – Tuscan Hills
5 Belgium – Ghent
6 Germany – Hamburg
7 Portugal – Lisbon
8 Slovenia – Ljubljana
9 The Netherlands – Nijmegen
10 Denmark –Copenhagen
11 Sweden – Malmö
12 Croatia – Varaždin
13 Ireland – Newbridge
14 Austria – Vienna
15 Hungary – Györ
16 Slovakia – Bratislava
17 Czechia – Brno
18 Poland – Katowice
19 Malta – Sliema
20 Lithuania – Kaunus
21 Latvia – Riga
22 Estonia – Tallinn
23 Finland – Helsinki
24 Cyprus – Paphos
25 Romania – Bucharest
26 Bulgaria – Ruse
27 Luxembourg – Luxembourg City
28 Greece – Athens