Embodiments generate random walks through a directed graph that is represented in a relational database table. Each row of the graph table represents a directed edge in the graph and includes a source vertex and a destination vertex. Each row is further augmented to (a) indicate the number of outbound edges starting from the destination vertex in the row and (b) include an identifier that distinguishes the edge from other outbound edges starting from the same source vertex. An SQL query may be executed on the augmented graph table. Starting from a source vertex (starting vertex or the destination vertex of the previously selected hop) the query randomly selects a row of the graph table representing one of the outbound edges from the source vertex and adds the selected outbound edge as a row in a random walk table that represents the next hop in the random walk.