Arjan van Kooi and Peter van Raalte have never been to Ukraine before. Before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, they didn’t know anyone Ukrainian, didn’t speak the language, had never encountered the culture.
But when VATAHA approached the two long-term members of the HAAG Athletiek sports club in 2023, asking whether they would be interested in co-hosting Run for Ukraine, Arjan and Peter didn’t hesitate. And together we have organized our flagship memorial event every year since then, with participants growing exponentially with each edition.
As war fatigue permeates the Dutch news landscape, what keeps the HAAG duo motivated to host Run for Ukraine? We spoke with both Arjan and Peter in depth about their personal convictions – and why more Dutch residents should join as well.
What is Run for Ukraine?
Run for Ukraine is VATAHA’s annual flagship memorial event that brings together Ukrainians, Dutch and international runners in The Hague to combine sports and art installations to commemorate Ukraine’s losses and express the nation’s gratitude for The Netherlands’ continuous support.
United across ages and backgrounds, every year hundreds of participants run in memory of civilians killed, in protest against the occupied and destroyed cities of Ukraine, and in honor of the defenders who gave their lives protecting the country from russian aggression.
How it all began
While VATAHA has been co-organizing Run for Ukraine together with HAAG Athletiek since 2023, our first memorial run took place with less than 100 participants in Rotterdam in August 2022.
After that first joint 2 km run, it became clear to VATAHA co-founders Uliana Bun and Oksana Savchuk that interest in the event extended far beyond Rotterdam’s Ukrainian community.
At the same time, Peter and Arjan were looking for ways to connect with the Ukrainian community in The Netherlands. “At the start of the full scale assault, you wanted to do something immediately yourself,” Arjan recalls.
Peter adds: “As a member of the postwar generation in the Netherlands, I was immediately interested in helping. The war in Ukraine is one of the most insane events of recent years, and if there was ever a way to offer even a little support, this was it.”
And luckily, a mutual contact brought Peter and Oksana together in 2023. “Meeting Uliana and Oksana and the first event in 2023—that was so special, so extraordinary—I can hardly explain how warm and special it was,” Peter remembers.
Arjan emphasizes that it wasn’t just he and Peter who pulled the first strings to get things organized. “There are a lot of HAAG Athletiek volunteers who gave their time and energy to make this a successful event,” he says, highlighting that, similarly to VATAHA, HAAG Athletiek is a sports club fully operated by volunteers.
Special moments from the first run
When asked about their most treasured memory from organizing Run for Ukraine three years in a row, both Peter and Arjan agreed that the initial interactions with Ukrainian veterans in 2023 moved them deeply.
For Peter, it was a first gathering that he’s “unlikely to forget soon”, where he met and had initial conversations with not just wounded soldiers but ordinary civilians as well. This meeting also gave Arjan “chills” and brought him to tears. “Especially [seeing] all the soldiers who were wounded in battle and are still doing their best to complete the five or 10 km route in the dunes. It was beautiful to see.”
At the first edition of Run for Ukraine held at HAAG in 2023, roughly 50 soldiers in ongoing rehabilitation participated. VATAHA’s fundraiser that year raised over 2300 Euros for Fortitude Foundation to directly benefit military rehabilitation efforts, helping soldiers participate in life outside hospital walls via communal activities, personal coaching, and skills development for new professions.
Participation over performance
Most runs in the Netherlands are sports-only events, with distance, time and performance diligently tracked. But at Run for Ukraine, only participation matters.
“That’s exactly why it’s so much fun—because time doesn’t matter at all,” Peter explains. “For serious runners, that’s often important, but everyone who takes part in this run is here for each other, together, to show that we’re showing our support in one way or another. It’s much more of a social event than an athletic challenge.”
Arjan agrees that even as a long-term athlete, he doesn’t run to win. “It’s not about being the fastest or running the longest but being together and remembering what’s happening in Ukraine, in the outskirts of Europe – it’s very close by. You can give your own meaning to the run.”
When you sign up to Run for Ukraine, your bib doesn’t state your own name, but the name of a fallen soldier, lost loved one or destroyed city you dedicate your run to. In the registration form, you can also write your personal testimonial, which are shared here on our website ahead of the event, and included in a compilation displayed at the venue itself.
Motivation to continue
This year’s Run for Ukraine is the fourth edition hosted at HAAG Athletiek, with its scenic routes along the dunes north of The Hague, and the club’s generous hospitality, resourcefulness and swift action makes this event possible. Although Peter and Arjan both hope that Run for Ukraine will one day no longer be necessary, many editions are still expected.
“The damage caused—both tangible and intangible—to the people and the entire infrastructure calls for decades of support for the Ukrainian community in countless forms. So the Run for Ukraine could continue for a very long time, and I think that’s exactly what will happen,” says Peter.
“Even after the end of the war, we still have to remember what the battle was about. And there needs to be so much rebuilt in the country,” Arjan notes.
Get involved
Run for Ukraine’s registration is in full swing, and we want you to join us for this momentous occasion. Besides the 2km, 5km and 10km tracks to choose from, you can look forward to Ukrainian art installations, children’s activities and traditional borscht, or Ukrainian beetroot soup.
Just like Arjan and Peter, every runner has their own personal motives for participating. In this Feature Article, we listed our top five reasons to Run for Ukraine. Not a runner, but want to help? We’re always looking for motivated volunteers to assist on the day of the event. Get in touch with us via our volunteer page, or reach out to [email protected].
Run for Ukraine is organized by VATAHA Foundation in partnership with Haag Atletiek and Embassy of Ukraine in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
This interview was partially translated from Dutch into English, with additional reporting by Uliana Bun and Olena Didkivska.