2026
Frankfurter Buchmesse Frankfurt Book Fair
For decades, Frankfurter Buchmesse has been one of the biggest meeting places for the international publishing world. What started in 1949 with around 200 publishers has grown into a global event where publishers, authors, agents, media professionals, and creative industries come together to share ideas, make deals, and discover what is next for books and storytelling. Today, the fair is considered one of the world’s leading places for printed and digital content.
The fair is valuable because it brings so many parts of the publishing world into one place. It is not only about books on shelves, but also about rights, translations, new partnerships, technology, and the people behind the stories. The 2026 Frankfurter Buchmesse will take place in October, with Czechia serving as the Guest of Honour under the theme “A Country on the Coast.” The programme will include more than 100 literary and cultural events, with 75 Czech authors expected to take part.
With so many countries, voices, and ideas meeting in one place, Frankfurt has become a space where a book can travel far beyond where it first began. That makes this fair a special place for authors who want their stories to reach new readers and new parts of the world.
Among the stories making that journey is Fun Run by Donald Froelich. The book follows a series of funny and relatable moments from the world of running, exploring the joy, pain, awkward situations, and everyday struggles that runners know well while giving readers a chance to see the sport from a lighter side. Before we turn the page and look deeper into the book itself, let’s first get to know the author behind it.
A Runner Who Turned His Love of Drawing Into Laughter
Some people run because they want to win. Others run because they simply enjoy moving, staying active, or challenging themselves. Donald Froelich has spent much of his life doing it, but he also had another passion that eventually came together with running: drawing cartoons.
Froelich started running when he was very young and was the fastest child in his kindergarten class. His running continued through school and his time in the U.S. Army, where he competed in the 100, 200, and 400-meter sprints and related relays. Later, he took part in cross-country and road races, including events ranging from two miles to full marathons. His long experience with running gives Fun Run a very personal connection to the subject.
Running, Laughing, and Finding the Fun in Everyday Moments
Fun Run does not follow one long story. Instead, every page works as its own small comic situation. There are no main characters who continue from one page to another. The runners, spectators, and people caught in funny running situations become the characters of each individual cartoon. This simple setup makes the book easy to pick up and enjoy at almost any page.
The settings also change depending on the joke. Readers can find themselves around tracks, on roads, at races, near treadmills, or dealing with the unexpected problems that can happen during a run. The cartoons cover everything from jogging and racing to marathons, injuries, dogs, spectators, and even those moments when running starts to feel more like a fight than a hobby. These situations are what make the book easy for runners to recognize themselves in.
There is also a simple lesson behind all the jokes. Running can be tiring, painful, frustrating, and sometimes just plain funny. Fun Run does not try to teach readers how to become faster or turn them into better athletes. Instead, it reminds readers that it is okay to laugh at the strange moments that come with running. For someone who has ever gone for a jog, joined a race, suffered an injury, or wondered why they started running in the first place, these cartoons can feel very familiar.
Bring Home the Lighter Side of Running
If running is already part of your life, Fun Run can give you a chance to laugh at the situations you probably already know. And if you are not a runner, the simple cartoons can still give you an easy and entertaining look at the funny side of the sport.
Fun Run
A Comic Look at the Joy and Agony of Running
Take a look, have a laugh, and see why runners have a sense of humor too.