HOUSTON - A student at Rice University is getting a lot of attention for the way he runs; not because of his speed or the distance but because of his route.
For the past six months, Rustam Zufarov has been trying to perfect his running route to resemble the shape of Texas.
Zufarov is from Uzbekistan but has been in Houston three years as he works toward his PhD in accounting. During that time he has grown to love the Lone Star State and appreciate Texan pride.
“Everywhere I go,” said Zufarov, “I see that pride and people talk about Texas all the time.”
It’s that pride that Zufarov has adopted and even incorporated into his runs.
Last fall, after a jog, Zufarov was studying his route when he got the idea to alter his run to make it look like Texas, although it wasn’t that easy.
He altered the roads he ran on and studied maps to figure out the shape, even taking advice from total strangers who found out what he was doing.
“I tried to make those curves but it still quite wasn’t Texas.”
Finally, after about six months he figured it out.
Zufarov says no matter where he goes next, the Lone Star State will always feel like one of his homes.
“It will always be in my heart. Even if I move in the future from Texas, I love Houston.”