What do ordinary Ukrainians do during a heavy night rain, when the temperature is + 10 ° C? They sit at home wrapped in their blankets. However, one hundred of desperados decided to check themselves and the bad weather out while running 50 and 100 kilometers at Trukhanov Island in one fell swoop. Together with them, distance was covered by ultra-photographer from DUMKA.
A regular 42.2-kilometer marathon for these people is just a warm-up before a real challenge. Ultra-races begin at a distance of over 50 kilometers and it seems that there is nothing like maximum distance for the participants. Therefore, the organizers carefully gave three options: 25, 50 and 100 kilometers.
The last option was chosen by 41 participants, six of them were tender women. An absolute leader was Ihor Sahanda. He covered this incredible distance in 8 hours and 14 minutes – normal working hours for the vast majority of Ukrainians. But the thing is that one hundred of ultra marathon men and women did not sit at the office desk, but ran through the wet streets in a chilly night of Kyiv.
It’s worth to mention, that during such a distance, gender issues go into the background because the struggle is no longer physical, it’s more moral one. Women of this race were really made of steel – Lyubov Sych ran 100 kilometers (it even sounds scary) for 10 hours and 36 minutes and got ahead of 25 men. She took the 10th place in the absolute race and the first among women.
Those who chose a shorter distance of 50 kilometers kept a fierce pace. The winner Serhiy Tymoshenko covered such a distance only in 3 hours 41 minutes, and female champ Marina Shapovalova was only 15 minutes behind him.
However, during such distances all finishers are equally honored. Here, everyone fights not with his rivals, but with himself: fatigue, fears and pain. Each of those who overcame them is an absolute winner.
Фото: Maryna Bandeliuk
Текст: Konstyantyn Rul
