UAH 2.56 million for the needs of the Defense Forces of Ukraine: a charitable Race of Honor named after Recruit 2026 was held in Kyiv

On June 28, 2026, the charity event “Race of Honor named after Recruit 2026” was held for the fifth time on the territory of VDNH in Kyiv.

The event brought together over 3,500 participants , including over 700 active military personnel. In total, 23 teams representing various types and branches of the Ukrainian armed forces took part in the race. Not only participants from Ukraine, but also runners from the USA, Canada, Japan, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Sweden and other countries of the world joined the event.

Traditionally, 100% of the participants’ registration fees are directed to the needs of the Defense Forces of Ukraine. This year, the total amount of charitable contributions amounted to UAH 2,563,009. The funds will be distributed among the five military units – winners of the Recruit Cup:

• 1st place — VC 3047 38th Separate Regiment of the Ukrainian State University — 1,153,354 UAH
• 2nd place — VC A1788 8th Separate Special Forces Regiment — 640,752 UAH
• 3rd place — OMEGA Central Bank — 384,451 UAH
• 4th place — KORD Cherkasy 1 — 256,301 UAH
• 5th place — KORD Kyiv 2 — 128,150 UAH

As part of the event “Race of Honor named after Recruit 2026”, a start was made at a special distance “Take the Next Step” . This is a symbolic 100 meters overcome by military personnel and veterans undergoing rehabilitation after complex injuries at the Next Step center in Irpen, as well as graduates of the Next Step and Superhumans centers.

During the “Run of Honor named after Recruit 2026”, the “Alley of the Brave” appeared for the first time – a memorial zone along the running track. The participants of the race ran past hundreds of plaques with photos, names and call signs of fallen Ukrainian defenders, paying tribute to them. There was no music, presenters or loudspeakers on this section of the track – only quiet steps, names and memory, reflecting the essence of the Run of Honor: honoring the military, supporting the army and remembering those who gave their lives for Ukraine. Along the “Alley of the Brave” stood relatives, volunteers and comrades with flags and ribbons with the names and call signs of the military.

“Today we have gathered here to honor the memory of people who have proven with their lives: true strength is measured not by words, but by deeds. The Recruit Honor Run is not just a sporting event. It is our gratitude and memory. It is our word that we will not forget those thanks to whom we have the opportunity to live, work, raise children and go to the start line under the Ukrainian flag today. Everyone is running their own distance today. But we are all united by one goal – to carry forward the values for which our military heroes, the best sons and daughters of Ukraine, fought and gave their lives.

“Let every step today be a sign of respect. Every kilometer a sign of memory. And every finish line a reminder that we must be worthy of their sacrifice,” said Dmytro Chernytskyi , founder of Run Ukraine and a veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war.

The “Race of Honor named after. Recruit” was launched in honor of military journalist, Major of the Military Intelligence Service of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy “Recruit” Chubashev . The event was organized by Run Ukraine in cooperation with Oleksiy’s wife, Yulia Chubasheva.

“I am grateful to everyone who joins the race and overcomes their distance. I do not take it for granted. This year, the Alley of the Brave appeared on the race course, and for me it has special meaning. It is an honor for me to have a place and an opportunity to tell the stories of people who gave everything they had for our opportunity to live and develop under the Ukrainian sky. So the least we can do is demonstrate our respect for them with action,” commented Yulia Chubasheva, co-organizer of the Recruit Honor race, wife of Oleksiy Chubashev.

The ideological partner of the race was the Joint Stock Company “National Atomic Energy Generating Company “Energoatom” . This partnership is primarily about people — nuclear engineers who, after the start of a full-scale war, stood up for the defense of Ukraine. More than 1,000 employees of the company currently serve in the ranks of the Defense Forces, and some of them gave their lives for the freedom of the state. For “Energoatom”, participation in the “Race of Honor named after. Recruit 2026” is an opportunity to honor their colleagues, nuclear industry workers and all Ukrainian defenders who died in the fight for Ukraine’s independence.

“Today we remember those who gave their lives for our state and did not return. Many of them were part of our team — these are people who did their job with love and whom we miss very much. Unfortunately, there are those who will never return to their jobs. At the same time, today we also see those who continue to protect and defend Ukraine. Our team supports them and makes its contribution with its daily work, helping the state on the path to victory ,” commented Oleksandr Ostapovets , Acting Chairman of the Board of the Joint-Stock Company “National Atomic Energy Generating Company “Energoatom”.

As part of the event “Race of Honor of Recruit 2026”, individual starts were held at distances of 10 km, 5 km, as well as children’s starts.

Among the famous personalities who participated in the event were track and field athlete, silver medalist of the Olympic Games and World Championships Iryna Lishchynska , TV presenters Oleksandr Pedan and Marichka Padalko , actor Valeriy Velychko and others.

Winners in the 10 km distance in absolute:

Women: 

• Alina Kovalenko — 38:23
• Sandra Winter — 39:51
• Olena Basyuk — 40:23

Men:

• Artem Kazban — 31:30
• Anatoly Tonkonozhenko — 31:36
• Vasyl Koval — 31:38

Winners in the 5 km distance in absolute:

Women: 

• Marie Golota — 6:45 p.m.
• Karina Yevtushenko — 19:41
• Elizaveta Moskalenko — 19:47

Men:

• Dmitry Ivanov — 15:22
• Volodymyr Kyrychenko — 17:12
• Oleksandr Sukhenko — 17:13

Official event website: recruitrun.runukraine.org

• Organizer — Run Ukraine
• Ideological partner — Energoatom
• Sports partner — Puma

Energoatom is the leader in electricity production in Ukraine and a key company ensuring the energy stability of the state. The company is the operator of four nuclear power plants – Rivne, South Ukrainian, Khmelnytskyi and Zaporizhzhia NPPs (temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation). The company is one of the largest employers in Ukraine, is one of the largest taxpayers to the state budget, and also systematically supports the Defense Forces of Ukraine.

Reference:

Run Ukraine is the organizer of the largest running events in Ukraine. Since 2010, the company has held over 150 international competitions for runners and sports enthusiasts. The mission of Run Ukraine is to organize mass sports events of the highest level, to inspire and motivate people to run.