Half marathons in Ukraine it will soon be called a national pastime - so many of them began to be held in different regions of our country. And that's really good, because there are more and more people for whom running has become a real hobby. And to test their strength there is something to choose at any time of year. So I continue to get acquainted with Ukrainian half marathons and test where it is best to run a long distance of 21 kilometers.
This time I decided to see again what is interesting for runners in the Volyn region. Last fall I already ran there “Kovel Half Marathon”, which is one of the oldest half marathon of Ukraine. Now he has decided among three well-known and interesting races in Volyn - the Eco-marathon "Svityaz", "Kovel Half Marathon” and a half marathon in Lutsk - choose a new one. He chose the Lutsk "half".
“Luchesk Half Marathon” - competitions, which have been hosted by the capital of Volyn Lutsk for 5 years at the beginning of autumn. The program of starts is always quite busy, because in addition to the classic half marathon, participants can choose several other distances, namely 5 and 10 kilometers.
Registration
You can register for the "Lutsk Half Marathon" through the official website of the half marathon dmytruk-lucheskhalfmarathon.org. For participants of the half marathon "Luchesk Half Marathon” three distances are available: the main - 21 kilometers, satellite distances: 10 and 5 kilometers.
The half marathon route in Lutsk passed through the central streets of the city, where the participants of the race could also enjoy the local architecture and consisted of two laps of 10 kilometers each.
Mission - to get to the start
So, it's time to go to Lutsk. I decided to get to the center of Volyn from Kyiv by train. In the evening he boarded the G97 train at Kyiv railway station, and in the morning he was already in Lutsk. Just in time to register and pick up your starter pack. They started publishing at 07:30 in the main building of the local university - Volyn National University named after Lesya Ukrainka. The package could be obtained only with an identity document, as well as a medical certificate or insurance.
Get started! Warning! Let's run!
The "Luchesk Half Marathon" launch pad was built near the package delivery point, opposite the main building of the same university. The race started at 9 am. All participants, regardless of the chosen distance - 5, 10 or 21 kilometers - started together, from one "corridor".
The route of the race 21 kilometers was interesting, for which special thanks to the organizers of the half marathon. The main distance covered the central part of the city and the territory of the park. Lesia Ukrainka, and this allowed the participants to see different streets of picturesque Lutsk. The route, which provided for two identical circles, was asphalted, but in some places there were small sections with cobblestones.
I conditionally divided each round of the half marathon into 3 parts. The first - and it is about 2 miles - stretched through the neat streets of Lutsk, as well as along the walls of Lutsk Castle, or, as it is called, Lubart Castle. It was a picturesque stretch, because the castle is a monument of architecture and history of national importance, and is still considered one of the largest and oldest in Ukraine.
The second part of the circle ran along the paths of the park. Lesya Ukrainka, where participants could hide from the heat in the shade of local trees. And already on the third segment, half marathoners returned to the central street of Lutsk. By the way, it was at this stage that the runners had to overcome the rise, which was already in the second lap before the finish. But not only he was waiting for the participants, but also the fans, who enthusiastically supported everyone who covered the distance.
For me personally, the first half of the "Lutsk Half Marathon" - which is about 6 miles - passed quickly. I covered this part of the distance in 53 minutes. The second lap ran slower. In general, the whole route of the half marathon obeyed me in 2 hours and 12 minutes. Of course, I would like to run it faster, but given the infrequent training this year, this result is logical.
After the taste of a mental race
The main award of the "Luchesk Half Marathon" for me was not only the long-distance covered but also a lot of positive impressions. And how could it be otherwise, if the organizers approached the creation of this holiday run so responsibly?
I have already mentioned a well-chosen route. But it's not just about him, but in general about the infrastructure created for the participants of the half marathon, and for those who came to support them. There was a food court for all guests, master classes were organized. A special play area was set up for the children, where they could have fun and benefit. The highlight of the half marathon was the enchanting performance of the pupils of the sports club of Cossack martial arts "Hertz". On this day in Lutsk, it was a cozy, sporty gamble and family warmth!
