A thrilling sporting event took place in Cherkasy, a true symbol of courage and dedication. A rescuer from Poltava, Andriy Grechany, set a Ukrainian record by running 21 km in full rescue gear. This heroic race was dedicated to the memory of his comrade, who died in the line of duty.
On September 15, 2024, a large-scale charity race was held in Cherkasy as part of the RUN 4 VICTORY Running League, organized by the sports community “Harakter” and the Charitable Foundation “MHP-Hromadi”. The event brought together almost 1,000 participants who took part in various distances to support the 118th Territorial Defense Brigade. In addition to the numerous participants, the event became special due to the setting of a new Ukrainian record.
Rescuer from Poltava Andriy Grechany ran 21 km in full rescue equipment weighing over 20 kg, which was officially recorded as a Ukrainian record in the nomination “The largest weight of equipment of a firefighter-rescuer who has overcome the distance of a half marathon.” The equipment included a helmet, protective suit, shoes, gloves, belt, compressed air apparatus and an axe – all of which Andriy uses in his daily work.
Andriy dedicated the race to his colleague from the Dnipropetrovsk State Emergency Service, Mykola Nechyporenko, who died on June 22, 2024 after being seriously injured while dealing with the consequences 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 could not help but dedicate this race to him,” Andriy noted after the finish line.
