Running made her life complete

Szilvia Végh Rugovics’s story: from her divorce to marathons

There comes a moment when you feel the ground slipping away from under your feet. When everything becomes uncertain, and you don’t even know where to find the strength for the next day. Szilvia Végh Rugovics went through such a period in her life. Now, however, she runs marathons, and she says: running has become not just a sport for her, but a lifeline that brought her back to herself.

Many people in Veszprém know Szilvi as “Szilvi Rugo.” Her husband is Vendel Rugovics, a former soccer player nicknamed the “Maradona of the Bakony” and a Pro-licensed coach. Yet for a long time, sports were not her world.

– she says.

As a kid, for example, she would have loved to play soccer. Back then, however, that opportunity didn’t really exist for girls. On the newly built asphalt field in the Cholnoky housing estate, the boys would sometimes let her join them, and these brief moments were a real treat for her. Football was close to the family anyway: one of her brothers started out here and later became a national team goalkeeper— Zoltán “Pipa” Végh.

Life, however, took her in a different direction. Szilvi became a mother of four, and for a long time, her life revolved entirely around her family. Her children are now pursuing different paths. The oldest, the twins, are 22 years old. Flóra is studying at medical school in Debrecen, while Bogi is studying economics in Budapest. Both played soccer; Bogi even played in the NB I league and scored goals. Máté attends the mechanical engineering program at Veszprém Industrial High School; he is now 16 years old. The youngest, Talita, who is 13, came into their lives with a special story. The biblical name means “little girl,” and deep faith and hope lay behind the choice. When it turned out that Szilvi was pregnant, the priest was just telling the congregation the story of Talita in church. Her husband suggested that they choose this name for their child. However, Talita’s birth was far from problem-free, and this completely turned the family’s daily life upside down.

– recalls Szilvi. 

Postpartum depression crept up on me quietly and insidiously.

– she says.

This period took a heavy toll on them. Their daily lives revolved around the hospital, worry, and uncertainty. However, the family did not give up hope: they prayed and believed that things would turn out for the best.  The doctors also took a very positive stance toward Talita’s problems.  By the time the little girl turned two, almost all her difficulties had disappeared. As Szilvi puts it, the trouble vanished as if by magic.

The family breathed a sigh of relief, but in Szilvi’s heart, many things remained unresolved. A friend of hers, Ildi Sefcsik, signed her up for a running group on social media.

– she says with a laugh.

However, the reviews he read here sparked something in her. She realized that week after week she was waiting for more and more reviews. Then she began to wonder how she, too, could experience these things for himself. She realized that these experiences weren’t easily come by. During one race, she checked the time of the last-place finisher in the 7-kilometer race and from then on focused on being able to at least match that time. In numerical terms, this meant running the 7 kilometers in under 50 minutes.

– she says.

The idea of a marathon, however, seemed quite unrealistic for a long time. The 42,195-meter distance is a far cry from five kilometers. It seemed unattainable, but that’s exactly what piqued her interest.

She completed her first marathon in Balatonfüred in under 5:20, but she paced himself poorly and felt sick after the run. At the time, she thought to herself that she would never run a marathon again—it wasn’t worth it; she had to raise her kids. Then came the turning point. When she signed up for her second marathon, she didn’t even dare tell her family right away. She waited for the best possible moment and finally confessed at Christmas.

The marathon held in Badacsonytomaj was particularly memorable for her. Everything went smoothly, and she even finished in under five hours (4:56).
Since then, she has run eight marathons, including in Paris, Rome, and Nice. The race in Nice is particularly close to her heart. Everything there was perfect for her: the track, the atmosphere, the view of the sea. Here, between Nice and Cannes, the spectators fans could follow the race all the way by train, getting off wherever they wanted to cheer. Szilvi was always looking forward to seeing the Hungarians, the fans, or her little girl. This provided her with a huge emotional boost throughout the race. 

– she states.

While running, there are often moments when everything hurts and your body wants to give up. However, she believes that when the body and the soul are in harmony, you are capable of anything. For this reason, Szilvi believes that most people would be capable of running a marathon.

– she notes.
She also explains that while he initially taught herself how to train, she now works with a coach. This way, she trains more consciously and manages her time more wisely.
And what has changed in her?

She is also very proud of the fact that, in response to a challenge from Honvéd SE in 2022, she ran 2,900 kilometers in a single year. She was so determined to win that there was a period when she went running twice a day. As she says, she loves to compete—with others, but most of all with herself.

And at home, more and more medals are piling up in her drawer.

She has goals for the future as well. She’d like to cycle around Lake Balaton and, little by little, run the Kékút trail with her sports club. She especially loves running in the woods.

When she looks back on the past years, she sees a long journey behind her.

Author: Rita Bényi-Virág