This year, ADDRESS is one of the main sponsors of Wizz Air Sofia Marathon 2026 and lends its name to the half marathon distance – Address Run 21K. But the company’s involvement goes beyond supporting the event – a significant part of the ADDRESS team, led by Executive Director Gergana Tenekedzieva, is preparing to take part in the race. Interest in corporate participation in Sofia Marathon continues to grow every year, with more and more companies turning the training process and race day itself into a shared experience for their teams. We spoke with Gergana about her personal running challenge, stepping outside her comfort zone, finding time for sport in a busy schedule, and why major sporting events make Sofia a more vibrant and connected city:

What made you take up running, and what role does sport play in your everyday life? How long have you been running?

The truth is, I don’t like running. And perhaps that is exactly why I decided to give it a try. I told myself that the worst thing that could happen was that I might not succeed. And dealing with that thought is not easy at all. I used to be a competitive athlete, accustomed to going for a medal, and now, suddenly, I am starting something new – something I find difficult and where I am not confident of success. But the real estate business has taught me that you have to act. Once I make a decision, I make a plan and get started. It cannot happen overnight – you have to invest the time, work through the discomfort and keep going even on the days when things don’t go your way.

For many years, I trained in competitive dance, and I was genuinely passionate about it. But life naturally took me in another direction – career, family and responsibilities that I love and chose to prioritise. Sport gradually gave way to everything else.

Now I am returning to it in a different way. Not with the expectation that I am an experienced athlete, but with curiosity about what I will learn about myself in the process. I believe we learn the most about ourselves precisely in the areas where we feel least confident.

I manage the largest real estate company in Bulgaria. That changes your perspective and your way of thinking. Doing something where I am not – and probably never will be – number one takes me outside my comfort zone. My colleagues who run are helping me accept that the most important step is the first one. And that reaching the finish line takes more than fast legs – it takes character. That is why I am doing this – for myself and for my children. Because they don’t listen as much to what we tell them as they watch what we do.

What does Wizz Air Sofia Marathon mean to you – both as a runner and as someone whose work is closely connected to the development of Sofia?

For me, Wizz Air Sofia Marathon is not simply a sporting event. Perhaps because I don’t come from the running world, I see it through slightly different eyes.

It is one of those moments when Sofia shows the best version of itself. Thousands of people from different countries come together on the city’s streets around one shared idea, and for a day the city comes alive in a very special way. It is not only about energy, but also about a sense of belonging.

As someone whose work is closely connected to the urban environment and the way people live within it, events like this energise me for two reasons. First, because they show the capital for what it is: a modern, dynamic and developing European city. And second, because they remind us that Sofia is not just buildings and infrastructure. It is also the people who choose it.

ADDRESS supports the marathon with the belief that major sporting events make the city more vibrant and connected. How does sport change the atmosphere and the experience of living in Sofia?

We support the marathon because we believe in movement – not only as sport, but as a way of life. We live in a big city where it is easy to get lost in tasks, meetings and hours that pass without us even noticing. At the same time, we dream of being somewhere else – by the sea, in the mountains, anywhere far away. And sometimes we forget that things can be much better right here, right now.

The marathon is a reminder of that: the city around you can energise you if you give it a chance. And through our actions, we set a direction and lead by example.

When thousands of people decide to challenge themselves at the same time, the city feels it. Sofia on marathon day is a different Sofia – more vibrant, more connected and more open. Our support for the marathon is support for the city and for its movement in the right direction.

Is there anything you would like to see more of in Sofia’s urban environment to create better conditions for movement, running and an active lifestyle?

As I have already said, I believe Sofia is moving in the right direction. The changes in the urban environment over the past few years are visible and real. This is also thanks to our partners – real estate investors who, in addition to investing in buildings, put significant resources into improving the areas surrounding their projects.

But there is always room for more. I would like to see more well-maintained parks, pedestrian paths and cycle lanes – not simply as infrastructure marked on a map, but as spaces that genuinely invite people to go outside. The difference between a park that merely exists and one that people actually use lies in its maintenance, accessibility and the feeling of being in a pleasant space.

A city that gives its residents the opportunity to be active gains people who feel good living there. And that is perhaps the most important measure of quality of life.

Major city marathons such as Wizz Air Sofia Marathon are much more than sporting events – they are celebrations for the entire city. What would you like to say to Sofia’s residents and visitors ahead of the 43rd edition of the marathon on October 10 and 11?

Join the ADDRESS team today. Don’t worry about whether you are prepared enough or whether you will make it to the finish line. The marathon is not just for runners. It is for anyone who wants to be part of something bigger than their everyday routine – to feel the energy of thousands of people around them, see Sofia from a different perspective and go home feeling that they have given something of themselves, but also received something in return.

And if you can’t run, cheer. Make a creative sign to encourage the runners. Don’t remain on the sidelines. The city is ours, and it would be wonderful to pulse with its energy.

As someone with a busy schedule and a senior management role, how do you find time for sport? What advice would you give to people who want to be more active but struggle to find the time?

It is difficult, of course. Like everyone else who works, my time is limited. Add to that the fact that I am a beginner runner, so I certainly don’t come with a ready-made formula.

But what I know from experience is that time for sport does not simply appear. You consciously take it from something else. That is the real challenge – not the physical effort, but the decision to prioritise yourself on a day when everything else seems equally urgent.

My advice is the familiar 30-minute mantra – find those 30 minutes, steal them for yourself if you have to. The difference is not only physical. You will notice it in the way you think and deal with everything else as well. When our minds work better, everything becomes easier.

Do you have a favourite place to run in Sofia?

Wherever I happen to be. Sometimes it is along the paths in our residential complex. That simplicity has taught me not to wait for perfect conditions before going out. I put on my running shoes and give myself that time – sometimes alone, sometimes with my daughter.

Do you have a favourite section of the marathon course? What makes it special to you?

Not yet. Perhaps my favourites will be the sections I manage to get through. Or maybe they will be the ones where I struggle. But I am certain I will find one that will remain special to me.

That is perhaps the most honest thing I can say about taking part in the race in general – I am going into it without expectations. And I think that is exactly how the most memorable experiences happen.

In real estate, we often talk about “quality of life”. What does that concept mean to you personally?

I work in a field where “quality of life” is a term we use every day. And yet – or perhaps precisely because of that – I know that it means much more than square metres and location.

Quality of life is a feeling – a sense of fulfilment, time for the people who matter to you, enough space to be yourself and enough balance between your personal and professional life.

The environment we live in matters, and I don’t underestimate it. But it is the frame. You paint the picture yourself. When the frame is beautiful – when the city around you invites you to go outside, be active and keep moving – the picture becomes easier to paint. Perhaps that is exactly why having a marathon in the city we live in is something special. It is not simply an event, but confirmation that our environment is evolving.

If you had to describe Sofia in three words on marathon day, what would they be?

Trust: because everyone chooses to trust their body and give it the task of carrying them proudly through their chosen distance.

Dedication: because behind every participant at the starting line there is a decision, effort and a degree of pushing beyond their own limits.

And modern: because I believe that running a half marathon is the new modern thing for active city dwellers – and I encourage them to start preparing for Address Run today.