Run for Freedom: Registration is now open for the KSE charity run featuring Timothy Snyder
11 August 04:42
On September 12, KSE will hold the third annual Run for Freedom at VDNG in Kyiv—an advocacy run calling for the release of Ukrainian military personnel and civilians from Russian captivity. Participants can run 1, 5, or 10 km in Kyiv or join online from other cities and countries. Registration will remain open until September 10. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian", citing the organizers’ press service.
For the third time, historian and UNITED24 ambassador Timothy Snyder will take the starting line in Kyiv. He will be joined by military personnel, veterans, Ukrainians released from captivity, families of captives and those missing in action, KSE students and alumni, professional runners, and anyone else wishing to support the initiative.
“Freedom depends on what we do when others are deprived of it. Run for Freedom draws the world’s attention to Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians held by Russia, and serves as a reminder that captivity cannot become the norm. Each of them must return home,” says Timothy Snyder, historian and UNITED24 ambassador.
Run for Freedom was launched in 2024 by students at the Kyiv School of Economics together with Timothy Snyder. The goal of the run is to draw the international community’s attention to the fate of tens of thousands of Ukrainians who remain in Russian captivity: military personnel and civilians, men, women, and children. The organizers are calling on people to run in support of those awaiting release and their families.
The race will take place on September 12 at VDNG. Participants must register and choose a distance—1, 5, or 10 kilometers. The entry fee for the 1-kilometer distance is 499 UAH; for the 5- and 10-kilometer distances, it is 1,099 UAH. The fee for online participation is 499 UAH.
Service members, veterans, and family members of prisoners of war can participate for free. To do so, send a copy of your ID to [email protected].
Run for Freedom 2026 will take place in two formats—in-person and online. If you can’t be at the race venue, join from any city or country: register, choose a distance, and complete it on September 12 from a location that’s convenient for you. Share your photos with the hashtag #RunForFreedom to support the initiative and spread the word about its mission.
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You can register for Run for Freedom 2026 until September 10 via this link.
All proceeds from ticket sales, minus organizational expenses, will go toward supporting the Defense Forces, and a public report on the assistance provided will be issued. The race is jointly organized by the KSE Foundation, DefDev, RECOVERY—a national network of rehabilitation centers for wounded military personnel—and “Heart of Azovstal,” a project supporting Mariupol’s defenders. Sports organizer: NewRun . Title media partner of the project: 1 1 media. Media partners: TV channels 2 2, KYIV24, ITC.ua, and Speka.
Over the past two years, Run for Freedom has brought together nearly 2,000 participants: military personnel, male and female veterans, those released from captivity, families of prisoners of war and those missing in action, students, professional runners, and first-time runners.
Thanks to registration fees from Run for Freedom 2025, the KSE Foundation fulfilled requests from two military units totaling approximately 700,000 hryvnias.
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