The annual Nova Poshta Kyiv Half Marathon will take place today, and this year it will take on a musical theme due to the impending arrival of the Eurovision Song Contest in the city.
The Ukrainian capital city is readying itself for the excitement of hosting the contest, and as part of the build up, 43 bands and singers will be performing live on the course of the race.
This is a joint initiative by Run Ukraine and the city tourism board, who saw the potential of using the race to promote both the city of Kyiv, and the Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv.
Sport meets music!
“Due to our high level of organisation, the number of foreign and Ukrainian participants is growing,” said Anton Taranenko, adding that around 10,000 runners are anticipated for the race this year.
Tourists who come to the capital for our running events stay for a few days afterwards to get to know the city. Given that Kyiv is the host city for the Eurovision Song Contest, we proposed the idea of not only promoting the city but also the contest. The combination of music and sporting events creates a positive image and allows us to further promote Kyiv.
A total of 43 acts will be positioned at 500m intervals along the 21km course. The singers will be performing a variety of genres, from modern pop, Eurovision hits, and traditional Ukrainian songs.
“We have added music to our race to make it more atmospheric and to make participation in the race unforgettable. The participants, which will include many runners from abroad, will no doubt be pleased to hear the music of our country. In addition, we want to remind everyone about the variety of music in the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest,” said Victoria Veremienko, the marketing and communications director of Run Ukraine.
There will be a cash prize for the winner, and shorter races taking place alongside the half marathon. There will also be special events for children.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2017 takes place in Kyiv on the 9, 11 and 13 May 2017.
