On your mark.

Get set.

Go.

For Aleksandra Klosowska, life isn't a sprint, it’s a marathon – literally. With nine marathons under her belt (that’s over 379 kilometers or 235 miles!), Aleksandra first began running to find balance as a working mom. Now, she’s on track to achieving her next goal: the World Marathon Majors’ Hall of Fame – all while making it look like no sweat.

The Warsaw native’s approach to running in some of the world’s most well-known and difficult races is marked by an almost casual fearlessness and willingness to tackle any challenge – including helping fuel Snowflake’s engineering hubs in Warsaw and Berlin, two teams that have created and driven key features across the finish line.

Meet Aleksandra: an administrative assistant who knows how to leave it all on the course and is always chasing her highest potential.

Like any race, let’s begin at the starting line: what first got you into marathon running?

Aleksandra: I initially picked up running to find a balance between work and life. I had little kids at home, so I wanted to have some time for myself without any screaming. I ended up running my first 10K race that same year in 2016, and step by step, I went from those smaller distances to marathons.

My first marathon was here in Warsaw in 2017. If I’m being honest, I had no idea what I was doing. I was running with my two friends, and we came late because we didn't know we had to start on time with a group. But it turned out I did better than my friends, who were experienced runners, and that gave me a confidence boost. From there, I got a coach and started training.

And now you’re on track to complete the World Marathon Majors. Can you explain what that is and talk us through some of the races?

Aleksandra: As of now, the World Marathon Majors is made up of six marathons: New York, Chicago, Boston, Berlin, London, and Tokyo. I've done all of them except for London.

Each marathon is unique. If you ever want to run a marathon in your life, New York City is the one – it’s 26 miles of party. Boston has its history and tradition, since it’s the oldest annual marathon in the world. Not everyone gets to run Boston, so you’re among the best in the world and feel very privileged to be there. In Tokyo, the culture is different and the crowds are quieter. Chicago is fun since it's flat and fast – same with Berlin. I ran it a second time a few weeks ago and I was able to get my personal record. I was very proud of that. The last three kilometers are right under the Snowflake Berlin office and I remember looking up and feeling so grateful. That gave me a boost for the end.

Did you ever think you’d end up here when you first started running?

Aleksandra: I actually only wanted to run the New York City Marathon – it was the run of my dreams. After I finished, I was like, “That’s it, I did it.” It was a life changing experience. Then, my time ended up qualifying me for the Boston Marathon. I knew if I was able to run New York City, I could do Boston too. Afterward, everyone was asking if I was going to do all six. I thought, well, you only live once!

Running 42.195 kilometers, or 26.2 miles, is not an easy feat by any means and must require some level of training and preparation.

Aleksandra: It takes about 14 to 16 weeks to prepare, training five times a week – this includes shorter races, interval training, and long runs. I also find that reading books about running and developing mental strength helps a lot.

The key is being consistent. Consistency is crucial for success, and also helps build trust in yourself. You keep showing up for yourself, and that strengthens your confidence.

We got a taste of your runner’s mindset there – how do you maintain that mentality during a race?

Aleksandra: My friends say I'm pretty mentally strong, that I'm built for marathons since I can handle the pain – because at some point, you will be in pain. People often say the marathon really starts after 30 kilometers, because until then, you feel pretty good, and then you hit a wall. I usually have two voices: one saying, "slow down, you're so tired," and the other reminding me that I've been through this before. I know what it's like. It's going to hurt, but I can get through it. At the end, you can actually push really hard – there’s energy you don’t think you have but you do. As David Goggins said, “Don't stop when you're tired, stop when you're done.”

It also helps that my family travels with me as my support crew. My husband is the best – he tries to be at different spots along the race to cheer me on from start to end.

How has that mindset influenced your work at Snowflake, and has Snowflake’s culture inspired that drive?

Aleksandra: Having a hobby like running has helped me build resilience. If I can run a marathon on the other side of the world, then I can do other challenging things like managing complex calendars and organizing events. I think finding that strength is important in all aspects of one's life.

I really think we Snowflakes motivate each other to reach our potential. Sometimes things can get complex, but everyone here has a very “no panique” way of working, which I admire. You just go and do.

You’re part of a dedicated Slack channel for Warsaw Snowflakes that are running enthusiasts. Do your fellow Snowflakes help push you to succeed in races?

Aleksandra: They definitely help push me. We give kudos on Strava (an app that tracks runs), follow each other’s progress, and celebrate each other’s races in the Slack channel. Sometimes we even see each other during races and give each other high fives. It's pretty cool, because when you’re sort of a “freak” about something, you want to connect with the other “freaks” on things like hitting your paces and the best running shoes. It's inspiring when we share and care about one another’s hobbies.

I must say my managers are some of my biggest supporters. One of my managers spotlighted my latest race during an office all-hands meeting recently. After that, many Berlin and Warsaw Snowflakes sent me congratulations. Sometimes I feel like it’s just my hobby and not a big deal, but everyone is always curious and supportive.

You have one more finish line to cross to complete the Majors – the London Marathon. When do you think you’ll be getting that Six Star Medal?

Aleksandra: As a non-UK resident, I have to enter a random drawing to get to run it. I haven't had luck so far, but I'll get another chance in December to enter a special drawing for those who only have one marathon left. Another way is to fundraise for charity, but the amount is pretty high.

They’re actually planning to add more marathons to the World Marathon Majors, so you never know – Sydney* could be on the radar. My goal is to keep going until I'm 80, so we’ll see how many I can do!

*At the time of publishing, Sydney was officially added as the seventh World Marathon Major, starting in the 2025 cycle.

Like Aleksandra, the Warsaw and Berlin teams don’t just run the race – they redefine it. Check out more stories on how the engineering hubs are leading the pack with groundbreaking solutions.

Interested in making your mark at Snowflake? Explore open roles here.

Aleksandra Klosowska is an administrative assistant supporting the site leads of two key Snowflake engineering hubs, Berlin and Warsaw – the latter of which she helped grow from 60 Snowflakes to over 450. Prior to joining Snowflake in 2021, she worked at Microsoft as an assistant and briefing coordinator.