PIROSCHKA VAN DE WOUW and CHRISTIAN LEVAUX, of Reuters, report…
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Reuters
A Dutch ultrarunner is running from Amsterdam to Kyiv to raise funds for charity and demonstrate how close the Ukraine war zone is to Western Europe.
Dutch runner Boas Kragtwijk runs after an interview with Reuters in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on 21st July, 2023. He will run from Amsterdam to Kyiv to raise money for Ukraine. PICTURE: Reuters/Piroschka van de Wouw
Boas Kragtwijk started on 22nd July and plans to cover the 2,500 kilometres by running around 50 kilometres each day for 50 days. The aim is to raise money to buy ambulances that Dutch charity Zeilen van Vrijheid (Sails of Freedom) will take to Ukraine.
“By running from Amsterdam to Ukraine, we can show how close this war really is, and hopefully get people’s attention and raise a lot of money.”
– Boas Kragtwijk
“By running from Amsterdam to Ukraine, we can show how close this war really is, and hopefully get people’s attention and raise a lot of money,” Kragtwijk, 28, told Reuters before he embarked on his trip.
Followed by his manager and a photographer in a caravan – in which they will eat and sleep – Kragtwijk is running 40 to 60 kilometres per day, depending on the distance between towns.
Kragtwijk, who was running through Germany when this report was filed, had not suffered any blisters yet, his manager said by phone last Tuesday.
At the time of reporting last week – after 10 days and about 500 kilometres of running – Kragtwijk had raised €22,000 via his Ultra4Ukraine GoFundMe page, nearly enough for one ambulance, which costs €30,000.
Running towards the east, Kragtwijk will pass through Berlin and Warsaw and hopes to reach Kyiv in September.
