On March 12, in Kyiv, around the National Complex “Expocenter of Ukraine” for about 200 athletes, activists, and other people, who are not indifferent to the reunification of Crimea with Ukraine, arranged a run, reaching a distance of 1 377 kilometres in total, instead of 812 km planned previously. According to the managers of projects CrimeaSOS and RunUkraine, Run For Crimea symbolically "affix" Crimea, besides, it is a good preparation for the Open Run Day and Kyiv Half Marathon 2016.
The representatives of the Islamic Cultural Center in Kyiv were also conquering the distances of the run, and the mufti of the Religious Administrations of Muslims of Ukraine "Ummah" Said Ismagilov was also among them.
“Now for the second year in a row, the public organization "CrimeaSOS" holds not just spring sports festival, but a symbolic action: the participants of the event have to run different distances which are 812 kilometres in total (the distance from Kyiv to Simferopol). Thus, it is emphasized over that the citizens of our country will never accept the occupation of the Crimea, and the spiritual link between the peninsula and the mainland is inseparable” - said Sheikh Said, and noted that Muslims of "Ummah" had conquered the distances of 5 kilometres.
Oleg Guzik, the head of one of the departments of All-Ukrainian Association of Social Organisations "Alraid", also shared his impressions of the event and stressed its importance for the reunification of the annexed peninsula with Ukraine, as well as for drawing attention to the problems of not only Crimean Tatar people but of all internally displaced persons from the occupied territories.
All comers, in spite of the level of sport training, both professional athletes and runners-beginners were able to take part in the event. According to the organizers, above all, the participants do love Crimea and want its coming back. The run distances were from 2 to 5 kilometres.
After the run a flash mob was held, its members lined up the outlines of the map of Ukraine and the Crimean peninsula, in such way, expressing their protest against the illegal annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation.
In the social network Facebook, Tamila Tasheva, a well-known Crimean Tatar activist, a social activist and the organizer of CrimeaSOS thanked all those who responded to the invitation to participate in the run and illustrated the publication with the relevant photographies.
