On September 15, 2024, Cherkasy hosted a large-scale charity race within the RUN 4 VICTORY Race League organized by the Kharakter sports community and the MHP-Gromada Charitable Foundation. The event brought together almost 1000 participants who took part in various distances to support the 118th Territorial Defense Brigade. In addition to the large number of participants, the event was made special by the setting of a new Ukrainian record.
Poltava-based rescuer Andrii Hrechanyi ran 21 km in full rescue equipment weighing more than 20 kg, which was officially recorded as a Ukrainian record in the category “The largest weight of equipment of a firefighter-rescuer who covered the distance of a half marathon.” The equipment included a helmet, protective suit, shoes, gloves, a belt, a compressed air apparatus, and an axe, all of which Andriy uses in his daily work.
Andrii dedicated the race to his colleague from the Dnipro State Emergency Service, Mykola Nechyporenko, who died on June 22, 2024, after being seriously injured while responding to the aftermath of shelling in the Nikopol community. “Mykola and I were friends, we graduated from the same university. His death is a great loss for our service, and I couldn't help but dedicate this race to him,” Andriy said after the finish.
This is not the first time Andriy has participated in such events. In April of this year, he ran in full gear in Kyiv in memory of three rescuers from Kharkiv who died while clearing the rubble after a repeated shelling.
The RUN 4 VICTORY race was not only a sporting event, but also a charity event aimed at raising funds to help Ukrainian defenders. Registration fees and charitable donations, which were doubled by MHP, helped raise a significant amount for the 118th Brigade of the Theater of Operations.
In addition to the main courses of 21, 10, 5, and 2 km, the race also included an inclusive course for participants with musculoskeletal disorders, which made the event even more meaningful. All participants could feel unity and support as they covered the distances together.
The previous stages of the quad marathon have already been successfully held in Ternopil and Vinnytsia. The organizers are already planning the next stages of the quad marathon in Ladyzhyn and Kyiv.