Dutch runner Boas Kragtwijk runs after an interview with Reuters in Amsterdam, Netherlands July 21, 2023. He will run from Amsterdam to Kyiv to raise money for Ukraine. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw
AMSTERDAM — 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.
Boas Kragtwijk started on July 22 and plans to cover the 2,500 km by running around 50 km 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,” 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 km to 60 km per day, depending on the distance between towns.
Kragtwijk, who is currently running through Germany, has not suffered any blisters yet, his manager said by phone on Tuesday.
So far – after 10 days and about 500 km of running – Kragtwijk has raised 22,000 euros via his Ultra4Ukraine GoFundMe page, nearly enough for one ambulance, which costs 30,000 euros.
Running towards the east, Kragtwijk will pass through Berlin and Warsaw and hopes to reach Kyiv in September.