In just the past few years, the number of Ukrainian participants in marathons around the world has grown significantly. For example, Mykola Taran ran the Los Angeles Marathon in 2026, and in 2025 he became the first Ukrainian to take part in the northernmost marathon in Alaska. Ihor Verys completed the extreme 100-mile Barkley Marathons in 2024. That same year, nearly 200 athletes of Ukrainian descent joined the Chicago Marathon. Svitlana Samarina, in 2019, won a ten-day marathon in New York. In other years, hundreds of Ukrainians have also actively participated in various marathons. In particular, many Ukrainians have taken part in the New York City Marathon. Among them (referring to participants from Ukraine) are athletes, directors, IT professionals, and media figures: Tetiana Kuzina, Anatolii Anatolich, Oksana Hoshva, Hryhorii Malenko, Natalia Yemchenko, Ihor Lymar, Andrii Onistrat, Nataliia Yaromenko, Rima Dubovik, Hryhorii Sunduk, Kostiantyn Lebediev, Ihor Kritsak, Anatolii Tantsiura, and others. In 2017 alone, there were about 100 Ukrainian participants.
Thus, for many years, athletes from Ukraine have been actively participating in marathons, promoting their country on the international stage. This can be seen as a form of sports diplomacy, contributing to the global visibility of the Ukrainian national idea.
Why does running—and marathons in particular—attract hundreds of thousands of participants from around the world? There are several answers. First, running represents life, growth, success, and victory. Second, victory in a marathon carries both mythological and historical meaning, rooted in ancient Greece (the Battle of Marathon and the messenger who announced the Greek victory). Third, marathon running embodies a national idea of unity and respect for tradition (the 1896 Olympic Games in Athens and the victory of the Greek runner Spyridon Louis). Fourth, a marathon is not only about covering a long distance—it is about overcoming oneself. That is why hundreds of thousands of participants and millions of spectators eagerly await new races year after year—even in online formats.
We have already established that Ukrainians from Ukraine активно take part in marathons worldwide. This raises a logical question: how has the Ukrainian diaspora supported this running movement? In fact, Ukrainians—wherever they are—have always participated in marathon races with determination, enthusiasm, and a strong desire to win. Over the decades, many interesting and unique marathon stories have accumulated, and they deserve to be told in greater detail.
The New York City Marathon and Ukrainians
Who among running enthusiasts has not heard of the New York City Marathon? It seems that even those who are not particularly fond of running have at least heard something about this most prominent marathon in the world. Founded in 1970, it annually gathers tens of thousands of participants, hundreds of thousands of applicants, and millions of spectators—both along the course (offline) and in front of screens (online).
Over the years, Ukrainians—both from Ukraine and abroad—have had the opportunity to take part in this “race of a lifetime,” fulfilling dreams and achieving personal goals. The New York City Marathon serves as a powerful motivator for growth, a shift in mindset, and overcoming both mental and physical barriers. It inspires people to achieve victory over themselves. Among the hundreds of Ukrainian participants, all deserve recognition, but let us focus on a few examples. Each year, the number of Ukrainian runners continues to grow, supported in part by the activities of the Ukrainian Running Club in New York—though that is a story of its own. For now, we will highlight Ukrainians from the U.S. and Canada, including members of Plast, who have taken part in the marathon.
In 1980, a remarkable woman of Ukrainian descent, Gayle Olinekova, participated in the marathon. She also found herself in bodybuilding, and her life story is inspiring, surprising, and truly remarkable. The well-known sports magazine Sports Illustrated described her as having the “Greatest Legs To Ever Stride The Earth.”
The 1983 New York City Marathon gathered over 15,000 participants. Among them were many runners with Ukrainian surnames: Kozak, Balaban, Korniienko, Zamora, Kindrat, Tsybriv, Zadorozhnyi, Martynyk, Soroka, Trofymchuk, Kotelchuk, Brody, Sikorskyi, Duda, Hrynko, and Rybak.
One commentator described the diversity of participants as a “friendly neighborhood of Germans, Poles, and Ukrainians.” That year, one runner especially caught the attention of spectators—and particularly the Ukrainian diaspora in New York. He ran the entire distance wearing a white T-shirt with a blue-and-yellow trident and the word “Ukraine” on his chest. It was both striking and intriguing. Many assumed he was an American of Ukrainian descent.
Immediately, a search began among spectators—friends and strangers alike—to answer the question: who was he? Witnesses described the mysterious runner as a man in his thirties, with chestnut hair and glasses. And that was all.
The search even took on a detective-like character. Enthusiasts analyzed a Daily News list of 13,746 marathon finishers. Many Slavic (primarily Ukrainian) names appeared. The next step involved calling some of the runners living in New York. This led to identifying several Ukrainian participants (Bill Chomin, John Tymczyn, Joseph Smindak, William T. Moroz, Steve J. Podgajny). But the identity of the runner with Ukrainian symbols remained unknown.
Finally, the mystery was solved. The runner was 42-year-old James O’Connell, a Ukrainian-speaking New Yorker of Irish descent. He started the race with bib number 482 and finished in 182nd place.
James O’Connell worked for the United States Catholic Conference, which focuses on refugee resettlement, particularly for Eastern Europeans. He was also interested in the Committee for the Defense of Soviet Political Prisoners and the Ukrainian Helsinki Group. He explained his affinity for Ukrainians by saying: “Irish and Ukrainians have a lot in common—both have been ruled by another country.” O’Connell studied Slavic linguistics and independently learned the Ukrainian language.
Interestingly, he had worn his Ukrainian T-shirt (purchased at Soyuzivka) during the 1979 marathon but had to withdraw due to leg problems.
In 1983, he completed the marathon one minute faster than the previous year. Perhaps it was thanks to the Ukrainian symbol—the trident—on his shirt, and the cheers of “Slava Ukraini!” from spectators who supported him throughout the race and at the finish line. This American of Irish descent, with a Ukrainian heart, continued to participate in marathons in the following years.
In 1989, four Ukrainians (all members of Plast) took part in the marathon: senior Plast members Vira Chuma (from New Jersey, USA), Andrii Maletskyi (Toronto, Canada), Ostap Moisiak (Toronto, Canada), and Bohdan Ozorchuk (Rochester, USA).
All of them completed the marathon successfully, as reported by the American press. This is not surprising, as sports play an important role in Plast. Vira Chuma was noted as the top female finisher from New Jersey, completing the 26 miles and 385 yards in 3 hours and 33 minutes. Andrii Maletskyi finished in 3 hours and 35 minutes, Ostap Moisiak in 3 hours and 59 minutes, and Bohdan Ozorchuk in 4 hours. For Vira Chuma, it was her second marathon—and she had the best support possible: her parents.
Chicago Marathon
In 1983 and 1984, Roman Holiash—a member of the Ukrainian Youth Association (SUM) in the United States—took part in the Chicago Marathon. Notably, in 1983, about 8,000 participants from different countries lined up at the start, including Olympic athletes. Roman competed under bib number 2,398. After completing the distance, he encouraged young people to engage in sports, especially running, as it helps maintain good health. I also had the opportunity to conduct an interview with Mr. Holiash:
At the time, the press wrote about this unique event as follows: “Marathon races are held in honor of the Greek victory over the Persians in 490 BC. Marathon running became part of the Olympic Games and is among the most demanding disciplines. It covers more than 26 American miles (42 km). To complete such a long distance, one must be physically and spiritually prepared. Marathons have become very popular in the United States. All major cities organize them annually in the fall season. In Chicago, the only Ukrainian who participated for the second time and reached the finish line was SUM member Roman Holiash… We congratulate our friend Roman, who has twice conquered the difficult and long marathon course.” Of course, such support from the Ukrainian community—especially from SUM activists—was a key factor in Roman’s success and endurance. Along with other elements, it contributed to his strong performance.
Niagara Falls International Marathon (Skylon International Marathon)
In 1981, Stephen (Stepan) Dowzycky participated in the race for the first time. Alongside him, more than 2,500 runners took on the scenic and creative course. Mr. Dowzycky noted that “divine intervention helped him complete the distance.” The Ukrainian press in the United States wrote about his remarkable achievement as follows: “Thirty-year-old Stepan Dowzycky, a parishioner of St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church, completed the 26-mile marathon… The race began on the campus of the University at Buffalo and finished at the picturesque Niagara Falls. More than 2,500 runners took part in the marathon. Mr. Dowzycky was participating in such a race for the first time… By profession, he is a technological systems technician at a leading company. In addition, he served as an altar boy for 12 years at St. Nicholas Parish under several priests, including the late Monsignor Myroslav Myshyshyn. At the same time, Mr. Dowzycky was the largest financial contributor to the fund for the construction of the Taras Shevchenko monument, which was built and unveiled here earlier this year.” This is how it often is: an engineer, a technologist, a philanthropist, a man of faith—and also an athlete. Such a combination of diverse roles in one person, along with a deep sense of responsibility for preserving national traditions, history, language, culture, and heritage, is truly characteristic of Ukrainians.
Boston Marathon
In 1974, the renowned athlete Petro Buniak—also known as Jerome Drayton—took part in the Boston Marathon.
Mr. Petro’s biography is truly fascinating and remarkable, while his athletic achievements are nothing short of extraordinary. He was born in 1945 in Germany, in camps for displaced persons. In those camps, under extremely harsh conditions, thousands of Ukrainians lived—people who could not return to their homeland (as Ukraine was occupied by the USSR) and did not wish to return due to the realities of communist terror and the genocide of Ukrainians. He achieved his sporting success while representing Canada. Over the course of his dynamic career, he reached outstanding results. Here is a brief overview of his performances: 1969 – Motor City Marathon, Detroit, USA: 1st place, 2:12:00, 1969 – Fukuoka Marathon, Japan: 1st place, 2:11:13, 1973 – Canadian Championship, St. John’s, Canada: 1st place, 2:13:27, 1974 – Boston Marathon, USA: 3rd place, 2:15:41, 1975 – Fukuoka Marathon, Japan: 1st place, 2:10:09, 1976 – Olympic Games, Montreal, Canada: 6th place, 2:13:30, 1976 – Fukuoka Marathon, Japan: 1st place, 2:12:35, 1977 – Boston Marathon, USA: 1st place, 2:14:46, 1977 – New York City Marathon, USA: 2nd place, 2:13:52, 1978 – Commonwealth Games, Edmonton, Canada: 2nd place, 2:16:14, 1979 – Boston Marathon, USA: 11th place, 2:14:48, 1979 – National Capital Marathon, Ottawa, Canada: 1st place, 2:18:05.
In 1979, Gayle Olinek also took part in the Boston Marathon, having previously tested her endurance in the New York City Marathon as well.
In 1991, representing the still-communist USSR, and in 1992 already as a representative of independent Ukraine, Volodymyr Krevei from Kherson participated in the marathon. Notably, he became the first Ukrainian (of newly restored independent Ukraine) to compete in international marathon events.
We truly have much to be proud of—and many remarkable individuals to celebrate.
Author: Oleksiy Lyakh-Porodko
