“We turn our donations into help” - stories of the winners of the charity race to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces

On October 27, the final race of the "RUN 4 VICTORY" series took place on Trukhaniv Island in Kyiv, UNN reports.

Details

The event brought together nearly a thousand participants from all over Ukraine. Military, civilians, children and even a robot dog joined the charity marathon.

The race in Kyiv was organized by the international company MHP, the MHP-Hromada charity foundation and the Kharakter sports community. The event raised funds to support the 13th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, the Khartiya.

Participants ran at distances of 2, 5, 10 and 21 km. More than 100 National Guardsmen joined the event. An inclusive course of 2 km was available for participants with musculoskeletal disorders and people with amputations. Children ran 200, 400 and 800 meters.

Artem Kazban won the 21 km half marathon. It was the second time he took part in the RUN 4 VICTORY race. He ran in 1 hour 7 minutes and 29 seconds. In Cherkasy, Artem won the 10 km race.

"I didn't think about winning before the race. But I set myself the task of running for time to improve my results," Kazban said.

His longest races were the marathons in 2019 and 2021 - he ran 42 km each. Then he took a break due to the pandemic, and later - a full-scale invasion. He mainly focuses on distances of 10-15 km. However, this year in October, Artem ran the marathon again at the Ukrainian Championships and took third place. Also last year, he won the European Championships at a distance of 10 km, running the course in 29 minutes.

"I trained for my first marathon for about a year. I went for runs of 20-25 km seven times a week. Now I train more often in the evening. You don't have to rush in this business. If you start too fast or with long distances, you can quickly lose desire and motivation. Beginners can start with 2-3 kilometers and gradually move on to longer runs," says Artem.

Kazban has been serving in the National Guard of Ukraine for over 15 years and personally knows many of the Charter's fighters. Therefore, it was very important for the athlete to support the race on Trukhaniv Island in Kyiv. As a military man, Artem could have registered for free to participate, but decided to donate to help the brigade.

Maxim Anenko, a participant of the event, set a personal record and won the 10 km race.

"The track on Trukhaniv Island is very cool and fast, and the weather was favorable for running. My total time was 31 minutes and 28 seconds. This is a personal record and the first RUN 4 VICTORY race I have taken part in," the athlete shared his impressions.

A few weeks earlier, Anenko had overcome his first marathon in his life. However, he was able to quickly recover and join the race on Trukhanov island in Kiev. The athlete has been running for more than three years.

"At first, I thought I wouldn't be able to walk away from the marathon. Even though my legs were not fast enough, I managed to win the 10-kilometer race. Sport is an integral part of my life. It helps me get rid of cortisol, a stress hormone. Since Ukrainians have been going through a lot lately, sport is a good tool to cope with stress. And running is generally one of the most accessible sports, because everyone has running shoes or sneakers. You just go out, run, relieve yourself a little bit, and your mood improves," Anenko added.

Next, he plans to run a half marathon in Dnipro.

"We turn our donations into help, and we also spend our time actively and usefully. In addition, running energizes and sets you up for a productive day. I run in the morning before work, and it improves my productivity. Running also brings people together - it's a community of like-minded people. I am a member of a running club with which we often organize various events and charity fundraisers," summarizes Maksym.

Dmytro Kharchenko won the 5 km race. He has been running for 14 years and works as a coach at the Running Laboratory in Kyiv. His maximum distance is 42 km.

"During the race on Trukhanov island, I planned to win, kept a good rhythm, and I succeeded," says Dmitry.

The athlete trains six to seven times a week. On average, he covers 10 to 12 km during a run.

"This is a quiet run, or five times a week running at a slow pace up to 12 km and once - interval and fast training. For example, a kilometer is fast, 400 meters is slow. I advise everyone to run, so life becomes brighter. Training also reduces the impact of stress," explains Kharchenko.

Run4Victory races were held in Ternopil, Vinnytsia, Cherkasy, Ladyzhyn, and Kyiv. The first four races raised over UAH 2 million. The Kyiv event raised about UAH 800 thousand, which will be used to meet the needs of the military at the front.

Help

"MHP-Hromada is a Ukrainian charitable foundation that started its operations in 2015. Its main mission is the comprehensive development of communities. The geography of its activities includes 13 regions of Ukraine: more than 700 towns and villages. Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Foundation has been systematically supporting people in the war zone, Ukrainian defenders and rescuers, communities, hospitals and maternity homes, charitable institutions that care for orphans and the elderly, as well as people who have lost their homes and livelihoods due to the war.