Kyiv Chestnut Run is the annual athletic event, which takes place during the Kyiv Day celebrations in late May. About 20,000 people gather at Maidan Nezalezhnosti for a 5K run throughout downtown. The Chestnut Run was the first annual sport and charity event in Kyiv. It started in 1993 and has become the most popular run in Ukraine.
The atmosphere at Maidan Nezalezhnosti, the central square of Kyiv, is incredible, as tens of thousands of people gather to cheer for the runners. Anyone can participate in the Chestnut Run. In addition to the competitive athletic race, there's a children's run for participants under 15, a baby run in strollers, a wheel-chair race, and a run for dogs with their owners. The event usually starts at 9 am. The route, which includes many city landmarks, goes along the central Khreshachatyk Street, Bohdan Khmelnytsky Street, and Volodymyrska Street.
Running is not only fun, but it also supports a good cause. Over the years, about half a million dollars was raised during the Chestnut Run for children suffering from heart disease. The funds are used to get the necessary equipment and medical supplies for the Center of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery.
