Runners will be readying themselves for the seventh edition of the Wizz Air Kyiv Marathon on Sunday, an event which has been given a five-star certification by European Athletics Running for All.
The event was first staged in the Ukrainian capital city in 2010 and the race founder is delighted the entry numbers are continuing to rise and foreign participation is gradually increasing as well.
“Every year our marathon increases in scale and the number of participants wanting to run the marathon goes up,” said the general manager of ‘Run Ukraine’ and founder of the Kyiv International Marathon Dmitry Chernitskyy.
“For example, around 1000 people will take part in the marathon compared to 600 in 2015. In general our race will attract around 6000 to 7000 participants. A large number of visitors will also come from other countries - Poland, France, Latvia and Belarus - all arrive with 200 people. Foreigners will account for approximately ten percent of all participants which is very nice.”
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While the prize pot has increased, Chernitskyy has stressed his foremost priority is the development of the mass participation and charitable aspects of the Kyiv Marathon, although he hasn’t ruled out inviting top-level elite runners in the future.
“The prize fund compared to last year has increased to about 78,000 hryvnia but I want to note our marathon is not yet an elite sporting event; the main focus is on the fans and the social component. We work with 11 charitable foundations which collects funds for charitable mission. We still want to develop amateur sport, to get people off their sofas.
“But when the number of participants reaches 10,000, then we will invest more in attracting elite athletes,” said Chernitskyy.
Just 2 Days to go until the Wizz Air Kyiv City Marathon on 9 October #running4all #Kyiv #kyivcitymarathon pic.twitter.com/DyHyAF13jE
— Running for All (@runningforall) October 7, 2016
The programme accommodates runners of all abilities with races from 2km up to the marathon staged throughout the day along with corporate and marathon relays as well as races for children and toddlers.
The 2km race doubles up as a charity event and all of the funds raised from the event will go towards supporting children who have been injured in the war in Donbass while runners tackling the full distance have a choice of eleven official charities to support.
The race organisers are hoping 550,000 hryvnia will be generated for charities and not-for-profit causes.
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]