Movement Creates Connection | Written by Said Puentes Guerrero

Running looks like a simple act, and in many ways, it is. But for me, it's always been something more. Running creates connection. It connects you with people, with places, and most importantly, with yourself.

My name is Said, and I've been running in the mountains for more than twelve years. Some seasons I've trained consistently, others less so, but I've always been searching for the same thing: connection through movement.

This is how trail running found me.

Unlike many runners who started on an athletics track, I came from football (or soccer, depending on where you're reading this). Back then, I couldn't imagine running in the mountains. Walking was hard enough.

But that's exactly where the first connection happened.

At the time, I was working on an archaeological excavation in my hometown of Caracas, Venezuela. (Yes, I'm also an anthropologist.) After long days uncovering the past through ancient artefacts, climbing into the mountains became my reward. Without realising it, those occasional hikes slowly became a necessity. Both my body and my mind wanted to spend more time surrounded by nature.

That's when I realised something that has stayed with me ever since: movement isn't just about getting from one place to another. It's about connection. And every time we move, we're also changing a little ourselves.

The First Call

One day, a friend suggested something that sounded completely unreasonable. "Let's sign up for a Vertical Kilometre race."

None of us knew how to run in the mountains. We signed up anyway. The goal wasn't to compete. The goal was simply to cross the finish line.

It was a night race. All uphill.

As the trail disappeared into the darkness, my mind wandered while my body kept climbing. Eventually, we all reached the finish.

Most of my friends never entered another trail race. I did exactly the opposite. I signed up for the next one.

I wanted to understand how I could become a better mountain runner.

Looking back, that was the moment I truly became a trail runner, not because I finished the race, but because I decided to keep going when everyone else stopped.

Trail running opened a world I never imagined. It introduced me to incredible people, breathtaking places, and gave me something I hadn't realised I was searching for: a place of calm in the middle of a busy life.

Finding Something I Thought I'd Lost

Trail running brought back something I thought adulthood had taken away. Adventure.

As children, we're naturally curious. We climb trees. We explore. We take the longer path simply to see what's there.

Then life changes. Work schedules replace curiosity. Desks replace movement. Stress replaces exploration. By the time the weekend arrives, resting on the couch often feels easier than stepping outside.

Trail running breaks that cycle. It reminds us that exploring is still part of who we are.

Every trail offers something new. A different landscape. A new conversation. A challenge. A lesson. Or simply the feeling of being part of nature again.

Somewhere along the way, trail running quietly wakes up the curious child that never really disappeared.

A Beautiful Accident

Looking back, trail running entered my life almost by accident. But it created such a strong connection with nature that today I can't imagine my life without it.

Choosing to connect through movement has taken me to places I'll never forget.

In Caracas, I ran where Venezuela's mountains meet the Caribbean Sea. In Tarragona, Spain, I ran beneath a Roman aqueduct that has stood for more than two thousand years. In Chile, I experienced what it's like to run above 4,000 metres, surrounded by glaciers unlike anything I'd ever seen. And in Colombia, where I now live, I've discovered lush mountains that still feel wonderfully wild and remind me why protecting these places matters.

No matter the country, the language, or the landscape, every trail has given me something beyond the kilometres. New friendships. Stories I'll tell for years. Memories that will stay with me long after I'm no longer able to run these mountains.

Because, in the end, trail running has never been just about running. It's about discovering. It's about sharing. It's about coming home with stories that only the mountains can tell.