20 SPORTEGRATION participants took part in the Grand Prix Bern and created far more than just sporting success.

This year’s Grand Prix Bern was a very special day for the SPORTEGRATION community. A total of 20 participants took part, and for many of them it was their very first running event. The atmosphere, the energy along the route, and the beautiful weather accompanied our runners throughout the day.
Particularly impressive was the performance of Sadiq, our fastest participant, who completed the Altstadt Grand Prix in just over 16 minutes. A strong time. Congratulations on this great achievement!
But for us, the GP Bern was much more than a sporting competition. The event became a true community gathering. Members of our Bern and Aargau communities used the opportunity to get to know each other, start conversations, and connect across community boundaries. Contact details were exchanged and new friendships were formed. Several members also decided to spend time together in Bern after the event.
These are exactly the moments that reflect the work of SPORTEGRATION. Integration does not happen only through sport itself, but above all through the encounters that sport creates. Through warming up together, running together, and celebrating together at the finish line, a connection is formed. This is exactly what SPORTEGRATION stands for: sweating together, struggling together, celebrating together. Social and societal backgrounds do not matter in sport, because in the end, everyone shares the same sore muscles.
Sports programmes like this show how important leisure activities and engagement are for people with refugee backgrounds and for society as a whole. Through sport, we create spaces where people can meet, exchange ideas, and support one another.
A big thank you goes to all participants, volunteers, and the organisers of the GP Bern who made this special day possible. We are already looking forward to the next run together!