The Ukrainians Still Running

M S O O V CIAL EMENT

RUNNING IN A WAR ZONE

These Ukrainians have committed to staying active despite the Russian invasion –and they feel stronger for it

AFTER RUSSIA INVADED UKRAINE

on 24 February this year, life inside the eastern European country transformed into a frantic combination of fleeing citizens and soldiers taking up arms. For days, Ukrainians holed up in shelters and underground metro stations as air-raid sirens blared through the night. But as the weeks and months progressed, regional Strava feeds began to fill up again with cycling and running routes, as athletes found ways to keep up their training amid days that felt otherwise anxious and surreal.

‘It’s my way to return to ordinary, normal life and clear my brain, ’ said Maksym Lievliev of Chernivtsi, a 37-year-old runner who was on a train from Kharkiv to Kyiv en route to getting his UK visa for the Cardiff Half Marathon when the war broke out and cancelled his plans for the foreseeable future. And Lievliev is not alone in deciding it’s worth the risk to keep moving. Here, we tell the story of four runners who are continuing their training regimens during a uniquely terrifying time.

GREGORY HRUSHCHAK

37, Lviv

‘My family says,

“You’re crazy! It’s a war, and you run?” But after running, I can think about the current situation in some new way. I can overcome my emotion and feel so much better.

After I run to a lake, I dive into cold water and dress and run home. It’s a new way to get your body fresh. Last year, I ran about 5,000km. On average, that’s more than 10km a day.

I have two kids, aged six and eight, and a wife. I have a brother in Germany; they live with him now. We booked a bus and it took more than a day to transfer from Lviv to Berlin. There was huge confusion on the border, especially on the first day of the war.

In the west, near the Poland border, it’s much safer than in Kyiv. But even today, a few bombs landed near our airport. I planned to start running this morning and saw that there’s an aircraft alarm, “You need to go to shelter. ” I needed to postpone my running for two hours. ’

WORTH THE RISK For these Ukrainian runners, exercising is a physical and mental necessity as they navigate life under siege

ALEXEY ZARUBIN

28, Dnipro

‘The first day in our city, there were two air attacks on our airport and nothing else for three or four days. Then, on Sunday, I ran for the first time, just 5K. I listened for the alarm and ran back home as quick as I could. It makes you know it’s time to go to the bunker… we sit and wait until it ends.

My wife and my daughter – she’s three – and my wife’s mother escaped. They left by train from Dnipro to Lviv, then Lviv to the Ukrainian border on a bus, then crossing to Poland. It took like 22 hours. They’re in the USA right now – my wife has a sister and they live with her. My parents don’t want to leave. Also, grandmother, grandfather – it’s hard for older people to leave.

I have five workouts per week. Last Sunday, I ran 23km – two hours. I live near an embankment and run around that. It’s not good to run along bridges; some of our warriors are there.

Running’s like my everyday life. It’s a time you can spend with yourself. ’

DIMITRIY GULIAIEV

29, Lviv

‘I live in Kharkiv, but we left on 5 March. My mother stayed and told me that she was out of water and electricity for two weeks. My father is in a hospital and we can’t take him home.

In Kharkiv, I just had two runs for probably seven days. It’s too dangerous.

Our company found two buses for people who wanted to leave Kharkiv and go to Lviv. In ordinary life, it probably takes around 20 hours, but there were many traffic jams and checkpoints, so it took 36 hours.

I have several kinds of runs: training runs, 8km to 10km and easy runs, 12km to 15km. And I have one a month that takes probably 20km. In a week, five runs.

Lviv is a very safe city because it’s controlled by Ukraine troops and the active military activities are far away. I like the city for running. Many parks.

When you start on the second or third kilometre, you forget about this madness and run, like you’re dreaming. ’

MAKSYM LIEVLIEV

37, Chernivtsi

‘When the war started, I was on a train from Kharkiv to Kyiv. I was supposed to go get my UK visa for the Cardiff Half Marathon. When I arrived, my two children and my wife were in Kharkiv, about 500km away. My first idea was, “How can I return to my family?”

I found a bus to Poltava and after thatwecallataxiandgobacktoKharkiv. I found my family in an underground station. Theywereafraid.

Whenthewarstarted,Ididn’tthink about running for two or three days. After that, between the tanks and the alarms, “Maybe I can run 5K?” But when I’m running, I hear missiles.

I was in the Kyiv Marathon and the AlexandertheGreatMarathoninGreece. My best is 2:42. I run about 130km in a week. In Chernivtsi, I return to running sessions,almostasitwasbeforethewar.

I believe that we will win this war. I don’t thinkitwillbeverysoon,butwe canresurrectour country from ruins. Afterthat,wecanrunmanymarathons. ’