Last weekend, the European Universities Games became famous all over Łódź, and even all over Poland. And it is literally. On Saturday evening, the Sambodrom walked down Piotrkowska Street, and on Sunday, the most popular street of the host city of EUG 2022 was the arena of the 6th Erasmus Run.
A huge moving platform with smiling dancers moving to the rhythm of hot Latin American sounds. Behind them, artists, drummers, and above all a group of several thousand student-athletes, judges and volunteers, who also danced along the main street of Łódź – this is what Saturday’s “march” through the city center looked like.
If someone has not heard about the EUG so far, information about the event simply had to reach him after that evening. The inhabitants of Łódź and tourists staying in the city willingly joined the party. There was no end to photos or videos on social media.
On that day in Lodz, you could feel like in Rio de Janeiro, not only because of the colors and music, but also because of the hot temperature that accompanied the event. It was two hours full of positive energy and joy from the great academic celebration.
A day later, Piotrkowska Street was the arena of the Erasmus Run (10 kilometers in the relay race), which started at 12 pm. We had 100 teams of 4 people. Previously, children in different age categories competed individually on 6 shorter distances. They were accompanied by EUGenio – the official mascot of the games. The emotions and atmosphere were fantastic and each participant finished the race with an Erasmus medal. The weather was also good – after a week with heat above 30 degrees and a Saturday storm, the runners were greeted by a brisk, sunny morning, perfect for sports struggles.
Most was happening near the Schiller Passage – exactly at its height, on Piotrkowska Street, there was a starting point and a transition zone, where the players passed their sticks, and the finish line. In the passage itself, there was a stage where the ceremonial decorations of the best players and teams took place.
