As every year, many of our staff members, in search of adventure and challenge, took on the journey around Lake Balaton – the biggest lake in Central Europe, in pursuit of excitement and challenge. This time, the 211 kilometer journey was undertaken by one team of cyclists and two teams of runners. Although it was a difficult day and night, it also turned out to be a memorable event that strengthened bonds amongst coworkers.
The cycling team captain, Zsolt Kertész, is an experienced rider who has completed numerous laps around the lake: "This year was the best UltraBalaton ever! The weather was perfect, and we were lucky not to have any mishaps or technological difficulties, which allowed us to go quickly. We left Balatonfüred a little after seven in the morning and arrived back at the starting point just before midnight. Naturally, we made a number of stops along the route. For example, we arrived in Keszthely at lunchtime and refueled at the Fish Restaurant. We rode a little further for dessert to Balatonmáriafürdő, where the famous Florida ice cream shop gave us a boost for the remainder of the journey. Every member of our diverse team gave a superb performance. I extend my congratulations to each and every woman and man who finished the lap."
According to team captains Péter and Tamás Homlok, there was additional motivation for workers because the two jogging teams competed against each other. We tried to evenly distribute the teams, and we believe that this UltraBalaton had the best level of competition of any that we have ever had. The teams engaged in many overtakes during the fierce duel, which concluded with a less than 4-minute margin. We covered 20–23 km on average throughout multiple phases. We began on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 PM and finished virtually at 10:00 AM the next morning."
While some participants spent the night in company cars, others, usually the more seasoned ones and those traveling with families, made reservations well in advance at various lodging options near Lake Balaton. Many had family and friends with them, who supported them at the relay sites and took part in the events, competitions, and other activities that were arranged at various relay locations.
Every year, the Ultrabalaton relay race is a great team-building exercise in addition to its apparent sporting merit. Just like in regular project work, it calls for accurate coordination and mutual confidence. Only by relying on one another will we be able to effectively work toward our shared objective.