Ukrainian woman wins Jerusalem Marathon after fleeing her home country following Russian invasion
Valentyna Verestka finished first among the women in the race after fleeing the city of Mykolaiv with her 11-year old daughter
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Just over a month after fleeing her native Ukraine amid the Russian invasion, 31-year old Valentyna Verestka finished first among women in the Jerusalem Marathon on Friday. Verestka finished the 26.2-mile race in two hours, 45 minutes, and 54 seconds.
According to the Associated Press, Verestka fled the southern city of Mykolaiv with her 11-year old daughter on February 24, while her husband stayed behind. Verestka had been invited to participate in the Marathon earlier this month, and was one of around 40 Ukrainian immigrants and refugees in the field of thousands of runners.
Valentyna Veretska, 32, a Ukrainian refugee who fled the war with her 11-year-old daughter, won the women's race of today's Jerusalem Marathon with a time of 2:45:54. Veretska’s husband remains in Ukraine where he is fighting the Russian invasion.
— Noga Tarnopolsky (@NTarnopolsky) March 25, 2022
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Veretska, who finished first in the Tirana Marathon last October in Albania, told reporters that she had not trained for the event in Jerusalem after fleeing her country. After her victory, she stated that she hoped she would be able to inspire the people of Ukraine.
"I hope the world will support us, to help Ukraine," Veretska said in a report by the Washington Examiner. "We're normal people — we want a normal life for our kids. I wish this war in Ukraine will stop and people have normal, happy life — not cry. Normal for kids and building new houses and new city."
Veretska is currently ranked 444th among female marathon runners worldwide.
