A meeting of the organizing committee for the patriotic sports event "Honoring the Warriors, Running for the Heroes of Ukraine" was held under the chairmanship of Ihor Boiko, Deputy Head of the Donetsk Regional State Administration.
During the meeting, participants discussed the organization of the 2026 edition of the event, reviewed the progress of participant registration, and coordinated cooperation among territorial communities, institutions, and organizations across the region to ensure successful preparation.
Ihor Boiko emphasized that the primary purpose of the annual patriotic run is to honor the memory of Ukraine's fallen defenders, unite Ukrainians around the values of national unity, gratitude, and resilience, and preserve the memory of every Hero who gave their life for Ukraine's freedom and independence through personal participation, symbolic running distances, and the sharing of their stories.
Special attention was also given to the registration campaign, which will remain open until August 10, 2026.
According to the Head of the Physical Culture and Sports Department of the Donetsk Regional State Administration, as of July 28, 2026, more than 5,408 participants had registered for the event. Of these, 2,384 participants represent regional organizations, while more than 1,000 participants are war veterans, active service members, and family members of veterans, military personnel, and fallen defenders of Ukraine.
Among the communities of the Donetsk region, Pokrovsk, Kramatorsk, Bakhmut, Dobropillia, and Ocheretyne currently have the highest number of registered participants, each with more than 300 registrants.
The Donetsk region will join the nationwide patriotic memorial run honoring Ukraine's fallen defenders on August 29 at 9:30 a.m.
Following the meeting, the organizing committee outlined the next steps to ensure the successful implementation of the event and encourage broad participation by residents of the Donetsk region.
Registration is open until August 10 via: https://forms.gle/caz4wqj4135iyWS2A.
Each participant will complete a chosen distance of 2 km, 5 km, or 10 km, either individually or as part of a group, while wearing the name of a Hero who gave their life defending Ukraine's freedom between 2014 and 2026 displayed on their shirt.
Organizers also encourage participants to share the stories of fallen defenders on social media using the hashtags #RunForAHero_2026 and #Run2026.