Running on purpose: Lilla Horvath’s journey from activism to ultra-endurance June 25, 2026 Community Champions Read time: 4 Min Community spirit takes many forms: campaigning for the planet, fundraising for vulnerable children or running 209 kilometres around Lake Balaton. For Lilla Horvath, it’s all part of the same mission. It goes back to the lessons her parents taught her growing up in Hungary – respect the environment and reduce and re-use wherever possible. As a child, Lilla loved the outdoors (she still does) either playing with her friends or ‘spending half my life in the livery with horses’. From there it was a leap from activism (joining Greenpeace at 18) to direct, community-based impact (through volunteering). “Every little thing you do adds up – whether you’re installing LED light bulbs at work or being more conscious about re-using, or rethinking where you’re going on holiday so you can lessen your impact, it all helps.” How it began Lilla is a keen runner – perhaps an understatement considering her latest race – despite not enjoying it in school. “I always enjoyed team sports more but still found myself signing up for 5k runs. Probably for the free t-shirts! As I got older though, I started taking it more seriously and running for fundraising.” In 2008 Lilla began volunteering for Bátor Tábor which translates to ‘Camp Courage’, a therapeutic recreation centre that brings positive life-changing experiences to seriously ill children and their families. The centre is the main recipient of Lilla’s fundraising efforts and she still volunteers as much as she can when back in Hungary. “The centre helps kids do activities they thought they couldn’t because they were too sick, like horse riding. Seeing the joy on their faces when they realise what they can do is amazing.” Endurance with impact After completing her first marathon and overcoming a serious knee injury, Lilla rebuilt her strength, joined a running club and steadily pushed further, eventually completing the London Marathon in 2021 and her first ultramarathon in 2022. “I basically ran a marathon and thought hmmm…let’s see if I can run an ultra. And it all went from there. I ran my first 100-mile race in 2025 and now I’ve just attempted the NN Ultrabalaton, sadly only getting halfway through but still raising money for Bátor Tábor once again.” NN Ultrabalaton is Hungary’s biggest public running event – a brutal 209-kilometre (130 mile) race around Lake Balaton, the largest lake in Central Europe. Lilla ran for 13 hours and 37 minutes, completing 105.7 kilometres (66 miles) of the course, with her partner cycling beside her as her support crew. She also raised nearly £600 for Bátor Tábor before volunteering the centre’s annual open day the very next day! Beyond running For Lilla, conscious living extends beyond work and fundraising into how she travels too – preferring to visit destinations off the beaten track where tourism can more directly support local communities. “We use an eco-conscious tour company to plan our holidays, always something different. No resorts and lying by the pool, thanks! We want to support the local communities when we travel so we do a lot of research and planning.” This includes Belize, Malaysian Borneo, Socotra (off the Yemeni coast) and Uganda – where she sponsors three young girls helping keep them in school and providing better opportunities for their future. More than miles What strikes you about Lilla isn’t the distances she covers – though 209 kilometres around a lake, non-stop, is hard to wrap your head around. It’s that every race, every volunteering shift, every carefully planned holiday feels like part of the same conversation she’s been having since childhood: how do I leave things a little better than I found them? She’s not dogmatic about it. She doesn’t expect everyone to run ultras or book trips to Socotra. But she does believe the small stuff matters – the LED bulbs, the recycling, the conscious choices – and she lives that way consistently, quietly, without much fuss. Next up? Another race, no doubt. Watch this space. To follow Lilla’s next challenge, connect with us on LinkedIn. Back to News