Entry-level athletes from Tiraspol trained for the Chișinău marathon, thanks to EU and UNDP support

20 amateur runners from the left bank of the Nistru River have enrolled in the first region’s running school with one goal – to train for the Chișinău marathon. The school was launched by the Sport Platform, created with the financial support of the European Union through the Confidence Building Measures Programme implemented by UNDP.

The running school included both physical workout to strengthen muscles and yoga and relaxation exercises. All training programme took place outdoors and was open to anyone who wanted to join in. Both beginner and entry-level athletes were guided by professional coaches.

The idea to create this running school belongs to the founder of the Run Tiras club, member of the cross-Nistru thematic civil society platform on Sport: “We are passionate about running and the Chișinău Marathon is an important event for us every year. We wanted more beginners to have time to prepare for it and have good performance. This goal requires competent and effective preparation. It seems we succeeded – our athletes represented us enthusiastically in Chișinău. However, there were some challenges. For example, we had to interrupt training for a few days because of the rain. Through this school we also helped to raise awareness that the marathon is an event for everyone and that it is worth taking part in. You can take part in the marathon even if you are an amateur runner, regardless of your level of endurance,” says Oleg Popovschii, the founder of the running school.

Olga Popic also took part in the weekly training sessions. “It’s very valuable that people have created such a great concept, where there is an exchange of lively energy, healthy lifestyle, outdoor activities, discussions about how to be physically active and yet healthy and calm. I don’t know how you can pass up such an opportunity,” Olga adds.

At the Chișinău marathon, 9 of the 20 students of the running school participated in the long-distance races, while the others tested their physical endurance in the FunRun race.

Alexandr Sivcov trained for the 42-kilometer race: “I got good advice from the coach in terms of distribution of energy over the distance, nutrition and hydration. I really liked the special running exercises. It’s one thing to read about them or watch them on the internet, it’s another to apply them in practice. In the end, I got both – satisfaction and mood during school and for the marathon.”

Alexandra Nicoliuc ranked 3rd place for the 42-kilometer distance in the 40-49 age category. Previously, Alexandra was in the top 3 at the 2023 Rubicon edition, also organized with the support of the EU Confidence Building Measures Programme, implemented by UNDP.

“I have run probably six or seven times so far. I try to participate in all marathons. I have already run the 42km marathon three times. Running school helped me because it motivated me to run, it was wow. When you run with others, it creates a connection. It’s very exciting. The strength-training sessions were useful, but there needs to be more, because the muscles need to be ready to handle such a load.”

The running school in Tiraspol and the participation of athletes from the left bank of the Nistru River in the Chișinău Marathon is an activity of the Sport Platform, financially supported by the European Union through the EU Confidence Building Measures Programme, implemented by UNDP.

The cross-river thematic platforms were created in 2017 under the Confidence Building Measures Programme as a result of good cooperation between CSOs from both banks. Within the programme there are six CSOs platforms in the following areas: health, education, environment, culture, sports, and tourism.

Through its work, the EU-funded and UNDP-implemented Confidence Building Measures Programme contributes to building trust between the people on both banks of the Nistru River by involving them in joint development projects.