The rain fell heavily at times during the seventh edition of the Wizz Air Kyiv City Marathon but that didn’t deter nearly 7000 amateur runners from 50 countries taking part in the country’s biggest running event.
The race brought together a bumper field of 6500 runners - along with 750 volunteers - who took part in events across the programme ranging from a two-kilometre charity run up to the full marathon distance. There was also a range of races on the programme for toddlers and children from 100 metres up to 1000 metres.
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'Despite unfavorable weather conditions, the Kyiv Marathon happened. I thank all the brave participants who were not afraid to come to the starting line on Sunday and prove that Kyiv is a sports city!' said race founder and organiser Dmytro Chernitskyi.
The first athletes to cross the finish-line in the marathon were Oleh Leshchyshyn (2:31:10) in the men’s race and Yuliia Bairamova (3:01:11) in the women’s race but the most famous athlete taking part was across the programme was professional boxer Vitaly Klitschko, who was elected Mayor of Kyiv in 2014.
Klitschko, who has been a staunch supporter of developing mass participation events during his tenure as Mayor, took part in the two kilometre charity run. He said the participants ran not just to race and enjoy a healthy lifestyle, but also to draw attention to the problems of people who require help.
Runners had the chance to raise money for eleven affiliated charities but the funds raised from the two kilometre charity race will go exclusively towards for the treatment of Sophia Zhylina, a young girl who has already undergone 30 surgeries to treat her severe illness.
'I am happy that Kyiv is truly a sports city. It is good that a large number of people entered the marathon and joined the charity race,' said Klitschko.
The organisers made sure the course this year was certified by AIMS and IAAF which means it is now eligible for record purposes. The four-lap city centre course started on Khreshchatyk and took in many of the city’s landmarks including the World War II Museum and St. Michael’s Museum.
The oldest participant to take part in the marathon was 75-year-old Oleh Shetankov and the oldest participant across the programme was 80-year-old Alla Rekka.
The European Athletics Quality Road Race standards act as an assurance for road runners throughout Europe. They distinguish between races that respect the standards and those that haven’t sought certification or assessment. They form the foundation of Running for All, a strong recognisable brand for running activities throughout Europe.
More information on Running for All:
Website: european-running4all.org
Twitter: @runningforall
Contact: [email protected]