[KAMAL] Welcome, Zlatko. I'm very excited to have you here. [ZLATKO] It's my pleasure to be with you. I'm now 56 years old and grew up in Germany with Croatian origin. I started playing football at the age of 7-8, and later handball. When my professional career took off, team sports were no longer an option, so I got into running, although I had been running since I was 14 for team sports training. Running became the ideal sport for me because you can do it independently, whenever and wherever you want. You just put your shoes on and go early morning, noon or late evening. It's especially convenient when your career is demanding and you travel a lot, which is the case for me. [KAMAL] So what do you do professionally? [ZLATKO] I work for the Lufthansa Group in the airline business. I just moved to Nairobi, Kenya, where I'm responsible as the regional director for Lufthansa Cargo, covering the neighboring countries as well. I'm looking forward to visiting Eldoret, the center of champions, and running with the elite Kenyan runners there. [KAMAL] You just wrapped up the Berlin Marathon, right? [ZLATKO] Yes, it was my 20th time finishing the Berlin Marathon and my 50th marathon overall, not counting ultra distances. Berlin is my favorite marathon - it's the fastest course, has a great atmosphere, and is a special city for me as I lived there for several years and started my long-distance running career there. This year was tough as I had just moved from Europe to Africa and didn't have enough preparation time, so my goal was just to finish. As a 20-time finisher, I'm a member of the Jubilee Club and have a fixed start number for life, which will be helpful for next year's 50th edition of the Berlin Marathon when there will be high demand for race numbers. [KAMAL] How did your running journey begin? [ZLATKO] It started in 1999 when I was running once a week in my hometown's sports park with friends as supplementary training for other sports. When I moved to Berlin in 1998, I started running more for my health as I was working a lot. My neighbor, a long-distance runner, introduced me to my first race in Berlin - the Berlin City Night 10K. From there, I progressed to half marathons and then my first marathon in Berlin in 2001. [KAMAL] What does running mean to you? [ZLATKO] First, it's a health issue - doing something for my body besides sitting at work all day. It's also a way to relax, enjoy nature, and have an hour to myself without distractions. Running boosts my oxygen levels and helps me recap the day and get new ideas, benefiting me professionally as well. [KAMAL] How has running impacted different aspects of your life? [ZLATKO] It helps me stay healthy and come home relaxed, which is better for my private life and relationships. The training itself is enjoyable for me, being out in nature. If I don't run for a period, I miss it. [KAMAL] What does your support system look like? [ZLATKO] My biggest supporter is my wife, who understands my love for running and even started running herself. We often start runs together before I go longer. My son also supports me by joining me for races sometimes and taking care of sightseeing and restaurants. I also have a group of running friends in different cities who motivate each other, exchange training tips, and plan future races together. The community aspect of running is great. [KAMAL] What's next for you in your running journey? [ZLATKO] As I get older, I may need to slow down a bit and be more careful with training. I'm incorporating triathlons with biking and swimming to strengthen different muscles. I still want to run in many countries I haven't visited yet. My long-term goal may be to do the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii one day. Preventing injuries by doing strength training, stretching, and cross-training is important as I age. Not everyone has to be a runner - the key is just being active in whatever way works for you. But for runners, the community, motivation, and personal achievements make it very rewarding. In Berlin, I had an unlucky incident where a runner was completely dehydrated, and I had to take him out of the race to the doctor. He couldn't think straight and kept insisting he had to finish, but I knew he couldn't continue in that state. So we runners look out for each other as part of the community.