Alongside the inherent cultural and career opportunities, relocating to a new country also provides a great opportunity to reinvent your habits – for instance, trying new foods, learning a new language, or picking up new hobbies. Since moving to Berlin last year, I have surprised myself by becoming a runner.

This past weekend I ran my very first race, a 5K leg of a half-marathon relay race (or in German, ein Staffellauf). The course was undeniably unique to Berlin, as it took place at Tempelhofer Feld. Once an airport, Tempelhofer Feld is now a public park with the original airstrip left mostly intact. In addition to jogging, it’s also used by urban hikers, cyclists, picnickers, skateboarders, kite-surfers, and even the occasional Segway rider taking advantage of the seemingly endless tarmac. Running on such a large, flat expanse was at times a little challenging, as the weather was typical for April in Berlin (meaning hail, rain, wind, and sun in no particular order). Another uniquely German aspect was that free non-alcoholic beer was provided as a post-race refreshment, to replace those much-needed electrolytes!

Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned runner, Berlin offers plenty of easy-to-find running paths in its many parks. If the sheer scale of Tempelhofer Feld is a little intimidating, Volkspark Friedrichshain provides a more manageable dirt loop of about one kilometer alongside a smaller, paved loop of 800 meters. If you’re training for a longer race and want a place to rack up the kilometers, the Tiergarten is another favorite for long, scenic runs. And if you’ve ever wanted to do laps around a castle, try a run through the gorgeous Schlosspark Charlottenburg.

Berlin has many races throughout the year, including the celebrated Berlin Marathon and Half-Marathon. There are also some cool opportunities for races at night, such as the 5K and 10K night races beginning on Kurfürstendamm as part of Runners City Night Berlin in July. If you want to run on yet another airport field, there is also a 10K, Half Marathon, and relay run taking place at night at the brand new, yet-to-be-opened Airport Berlin-Brandenburg in Spring.

As an active city, Berlin also has a wide offering of running groups. These can be found through social media and meet-up sites. You could also start your own by asking interested classmates or colleagues. It might even be a way to stay active and improve your German at the same time!