O
RunningAround theWorld
ThomasW. Horton
Chairman and CEO American Airlines
©CHET SNEDDEN
SUMMER 2012
celebratedliving.com
6
FROM
THE CEO
On a recent business trip to Berlin, I
was thinking of the great American
athleteJesseOwens. That’spartlybe-
cause Berlin was the site of Owens’
greatest triumph: winning four gold
medals at the 1936 Olympic Games.
But as I was enjoying amorning run
through the beautiful Tiergarten, I
also recalled something Owens said
aboutmy favorite pastime. He said, “I
always loved running. It was some-
thing you could do by yourself and
under your own power. You could go
in any direction, fast or slow as you
wanted, fighting the wind if you felt
like it, seeking out new sights just on
thestrengthofyour feetand thecourageofyour lungs.”
While I am a far cry from JesseOwens, I agreewhole-
heartedlyand thought Iwoulduse thismonth’s column to
discusshowcomplementaryair travel and running— two
ofmygreatestpassions—canbe.
I like togo for a run thefirst chance I get after landing
in a new city, especially after a long-haul flight. Running
clearsmyheadandconnectsme to theplaces I visit better
thananythingelse Iknow. Idon’tneedaguidebookora lot
of gear; I just lace up and go, andwithinminutes, I get a
blastofacity’shistory, itspeople, itstempo,and itsculture.
Oneofmy favoriteruns is thesix-mile lapofNewYork’s
Central Park (watch out for HeartbreakHill on the north
end!). I usually runearly in themorning, andwhen inChi-
cago I love runningalong the lakeshore fromdowntownat
sunrise,with thebeautyof LakeMichiganonone sideand
thepoweroftheChicagoskylineontheother.Arunaround
the National Mall inWashington, D.C., never fails to in-
spire,and I liketorunupthestepsof theLincolnMemorial,
pausingbriefly to read theGettysburgAddress (less than
300words, amazingly)before runningbackdown.
I lived inLondonyears ago, andmost everymorning, I
would run throughHyde Park. When feeling ambitious,
I would run fromHyde Park toGreen Park to St. James,
then down the embankment of the Thames into the city
and back. Each runwas a feast for the eyes as well as a
history lesson. Madrid is another good
running city, andmy favorite run takes
me through the city, past the Museo
Nacional del Pradoandup thehill to the
quiet and lovelyRetiro Park. InBeijing,
my running shoes have transportedme
around Tiananmen Square and the
ForbiddenCity, and a lap or two around
thepeaceful Imperial Palace inTokyo is
a nice contrast with the surrounding
buzzof thatdynamiccity.
I realize, of course, that there isn’t
always aworld-famous landmark to run
around, andsettingoutonarun inacity
youdon’tknowwell canbedaunting.My
suggestion, ifyou’restaying inahotel, is
toask someone on the staff for agood route. Chances are,
you’re not the first runner to ask. On a recent trip to São
Paulo I was pointed to Ibirapuera Park, a runner’s green
oasis in theboomingcenterofLatinAmerica’s largest city.
Races are also a greatway to see a city and its people.
My favorite is theNewYorkMarathon,whichbeginson the
VerrazanoBridge, passes throughall fiveboroughs of the
city, and ends inCentral Park. I also recommend the San
Francisco half-marathon that starts inGoldenGate Park
andweaves through thehillswith scenic views of the city
ending in theEmbarcaderoby thebay.
Part of running’s appeal tome is that, whether you’re
training for your 20thmarathon ormaking your first lap
around theblock,youare testing the limitsofwhatyoucan
do. It’salwaysagreat feeling torun justa littlebit fasteror
a littlebit farther thanyou thoughtyoucould.
Like air travel, running connects you to theworld; to
the people and places on different continents. Of course,
whetheryou’retravelingbyairorby foot, thebest journeys
always end in the same place— home— andmy favorite
run in theworld is thewinding loop around a scenic lake
backhome inDallas.
Wherever today’s journey is takingyou, Iwant tothank
you formakingAmericanAirlinesapartof it.And ifyou’re
a runner, runstrong.Haveagreat trip!
