Alex Husariu - Why discipline matters

Brief introduction – who you are and what are your most notable achievements in running.

1. How did your passion for running begin?

The passion for running was there since I was a child, but I didn't know this sport existed. I discovered mountain running around 2016 when, during a hike on Ceahlău, I saw some runners training for Bate Toaca. I was amazed at that moment, and that's where it all began.

2. Who are you when you're not running – and how much of that "you" do you bring with you on the trail? (Sometimes running brings to the surface things we don't see every day.) What part of you comes to light when you are alone with the mountain?

When I'm not running, I'm a simple person but still passionate about sports. On the mountain, I try to bring out the disciplined and quiet side of myself. There, patience, stubbornness, and the desire to move forward come to the surface.

3. Which race did you participate in at BUR and what did this race tell you about yourself? (About limits, courage, giving up, joy... What have you learned or relearned about yourself in the hours spent on the trails?)

In Bucovina, I felt once again what it means to manage your limits. I ran several races from the Runc Challenge event to the 88 km race. It taught me that experience matters, but it doesn't spare you from tough moments. That you have to take each ascent step by step and think that in the end, the Runc comes 🥴.

4. Bucovina Ultra Rocks is a race, but also a state of mind. How does this place feel to you – the nature, the people, the energy? (What kind of connection did you feel between yourself and the space you passed through?) How did Bukovina touch you?

Bucovina has a unique energy. It's not just about beautiful trails. It's about tranquility, about deep forests, about people who live simply. When you run here, you feel like you're returning a bit to the essentials. To movement, to nature, to things that don't need too many explanations...just the desire to discover them.

5. If you were to tell runners who have never been to Bucovina about the Bucovina Ultra Rocks experience, what would you want to convey beyond words? (What emotion, image, or moment should they feel to understand what it means to be here?)

I would tell them to imagine a path thru the forest, wet roots, light filtering thru the fir trees, and silence or perhaps the song of birds... Then, after a long climb, you emerge into an open space and see the Bucovina mountains stretching out before you. That moment, when you realize how small you are and how beautiful the place you are running in is, best explains what Bucovina Ultra Rocks means.

6. What does the idea of running among roots and looking toward the horizon mean to you? (What always brings you back to your roots, and what always pushes you further?)

The roots are the things that keep you grounded: discipline, hard work, the people who support you. The horizon is what pushes you forward: the desire to evolve and discover new trails, or how far you can go. In mountain running, you are always between the two.