Part sport, part art, part mindfulness, and fully a crowd pleaser

Story

I’m a Budapest based runner and 3-ball juggler, blending distance running with juggling in street runs, races, and events across Hungary.

During the COVID lockdown I spent a lot of time juggling balls. And years later the idea came to combine juggling with running. It wasn’t a new idea, as the sport already exists under the name joggling, from jogging and juggling.

I kept showing up early in the mornings at a nearby park to practice. My first 5k while juggling was around Margaret Island (Margitsziget 🇭🇺) in Budapest in early 2024. Since then, I’ve been running regularly, never without my balls.

Lately, I’ve been practicing at the Athletics Centre (Atlétikai Központ 🇭🇺), near Infopark/BME, and along the Danube, crossing bridges like Liberty Bridge (Szabadság híd 🇭🇺) and Chain Bridge (Széchenyi lánchíd 🇭🇺).

It’s weird, tricky, and surprisingly fun to watch, even for dogs. Part sport, part art, part mindfulness, and fully a crowd pleaser.

Events

Races

Sat, 27/Jun	Futóest a Hősök terén	Budapest
Sat, 4/Jul	Holdfény éjszakai félmaraton	Szeged
Sat, 11/Jul	Csillagok útján...	Balatonboglár
Fri, 14/Aug	Ülemiste Night Run	Tallinn
Sat, 15/Aug	Ülemiste Night Run	Tallinn
Sat, 29/Aug	Generali Night Run	Budapest
Sun, 30/Aug	UFÓ Ócsa futás	Ócsa

Sun, 18/Jan	Zúzmara Félmaraton	Budakalász
Sun, 25/Jan	Violin Maraton	Kecskemét
Sun, 8/Feb	Kométa Futófarsang	Kaposvár
Sat, 14/Feb	Schiller Szerelmes Füred	Balatonfüred
Sun, 22/Feb	Meridiano International Half Marathon & 10K	Alicante
Sat, 7/Mar	KEK Run	Budapest
Sat, 14/Mar	Honvédfutás	Budapest
Sat, 21/Mar	Telekom Vivicittá	Budapest
Sun, 22/Mar	Telekom Vivicittá	Budapest
Fri, 27/Mar	LED's Run	Budapest
Sun, 29/Mar	NN City Run	Budapest
Sat, 18/Apr	ÁGOTA Futás	Szeged
Sun, 19/Apr	Cerbona Fehérvár Félmaraton	Székesfehérvár
Sun, 26/Apr	Alexander The Great	Thessaloniki
Wed, 6/May	E.ON Business Run	Budapest
Sat, 16/May	Futókörök napja	Eger
Fri, 29/May	Night Runner - Fuss a fény útján!	Pécs
Sat, 6/Jun	Büchl Éjszakai Félmaraton	Győr
Fri, 12/Jun	Mozgás Éjszakája	Budapest

Sun, 19/Jan	Zúzmara Félmaraton	Budakalász
Sat, 8/Mar	KEK Run	Budapest
Sun, 30/Mar	NN City Run	Budapest
Sat, 12/Apr	Telekom Vivicittá	Budapest
Sat, 26/Apr	ÁGOTA Futás	Szeged
Sun, 4/May	Wings for Life	Budapest
Tue, 6/May	5vös 5km	Budapest
Sat, 10/May	Krones Charity Run	Debrecen
Wed, 21/May	E.ON Business Run	Budapest
Fri, 27/Mar	Ceglédfürdő Futófesztivál	Ceglédi gyógyfürdő
Fri, 13/Jun	Mozgás Éjszakája	Budapest
Sat, 28/Jun	Futóest a Hősök terén	Budapest
Sat, 12/Jul	Csillagok útján...	Balatonboglár
Sat, 30/Aug	Generali Night Run	Budapest
Sun, 7/Sep	Wizz Air Félmaraton	Budapest
Sat, 8/Nov	Halloween Run	Budapest
Sun, 30/Nov	Discoveries Lisbon Half Marathon	Lisbon
Sun, 7/Dec	Penny Mikulásfutás	Budapest
Sun, 14/Dec	Polythlon InfoPark, PIPU	Budapest
Sun, 28/Dec	Szilveszteri jótékonysági futógála	Balatonlelle
Wed, 31/Dec	Szilveszteri Pezsgőfutás és Velencei-tó kör	Gárdony

Sun, 24/Mar	NN City Run	Budapest
Sat, 13/Apr	Generali Run	Balatonfüred
Sat, 20/Apr	Telekom Vivicittá	Budapest
Fri, 14/Jun	Mozgás Éjszakája	Budapest
Sat, 29/Jun	Futóest a Hősök terén	Budapest
Sun, 8/Dec	Penny Mikulásfutás	Budapest
Sun, 15/Dec	Polythlon InfoPark, PIPU	Budapest
Sat, 28/Dec	Szilveszteri jótékonysági futógála	Balatonlelle

Group runs

Running Latte Club – Budapest (Regular since 2024)
Runners High Budapest – Budapest (Regular since 2025)
Rookie Run Club – Lisbon (2025)
Run for Voices – Budapest (2026)
Rise2Run Club – Alicante (2026)

Statistics

45 races in 15 places in Hungary and counting

2200+ km in total for body and mind

FAQ

What motivates you to do this?

I keep doing it because I simply love doing it. It gives me just the right amount of challenge, keeps me fully engaged, and I find that very recharging.

Do you do this professionally?

No. I work in IT. Once, in a meeting, it came up that I run and juggle, and everyone laughed, saying that was exactly what we were doing at the time.

Where do you look?

I focus ahead on the route while keeping the balls in my peripheral vision. I stop juggling when crossing roads.

Do you ever drop the balls?

I usually run up to 15 km without a single drop, but drops do happen. And when they do, I might blame the weather.

Is it difficult?

It’s much simpler than you might think. You can learn to juggle three balls. Juggling while moving takes more practice, but you’ll see progress quickly.

Is it mentally tiring?

The running is the hard part, so I get physically tired, but mentally, it clears my head rather than drains it.

How do you keep focus?

When I lose focus, I drop a ball. That used to happen more often than it does now. Over time, I learned to stay focused and be aware of my surroundings.

Do you juggle throughout the whole race?

Safety comes first. In big races I usually wait until the crowd spreads out a bit before juggling. In smaller races or if I start from the back I may even juggle before the start line.

What’s your longest run while juggling?

A bit more than a half marathon. I prefer shorter runs like 10K because I recover faster.

How fast can you run while juggling?

I have a 5K PR of 4:27/km at the Athletics Centre, set on July 2025. I rarely push myself to my limits. I run to be mindful and connect with people.

How much faster would you be without the balls?

Maybe a little, since my arms could move more freely and through a wider range of motion. I always run with balls though.

What kind of balls do you use?

I juggle with 67 mm balls weighing 115 or 125 g, depending on the weather. For night runs, I use 69 mm LED balls that weigh 120 g. For storms, I’m thinking of getting heavier ones.

I got you on video!

Sweet. I always enjoy seeing those moments. Feel free to tag or share them with me. I also have some in my Instagram story highlights.

Does it have any benefits?

People react to it, and this often leads to memorable interactions. Beyond that joggling is a body and mind workout that improves fitness, coordination, and focus.

Contact

Reactions on the run. Comments below. ⬇️

📸 @CasualAttila

✉️ attila_suszter@hotmail.com

📍Budapest, Hungary

Joggling on the streets since 2024.

Photos: Bálint Czucz (hero), Cerbona Fehérvár Félmaraton, Heni Pápai, Red Bull, Futó-Fotó.