- Valentyna Veretska, a Ukrainian refugee, won the women's division of the Jerusalem Marathon.
- Invited by race organizers just two weeks ago, she finished in 2:45:52, with minimal training and under tough conditions.
- "I knew I must do it," the 31-year-old runner said. "And give this voice from Ukraine."
It's a dream come true for one Ukrainian refugee who won the 11th annual Jerusalem Marathon on Friday, just weeks after fleeing the war-torn country with her young daughter while her husband stayed to fight.
Valentyna Veretska, 31, won the women's division in 2:45:52 under difficult conditions, including cold weather and rain, alongside some 40 others from Ukraine, running in a show of solidarity with their homeland.
After claiming the women's title, an incredulous Veretska exclusively told Insider, "I'm full of energy. I don't know how it's happened, but I haven't lost power." The elite runner added that she believed she won so that she can send a message to the world: "I feel this is for my country. That's why I run and finished first. I think I must do it because if I cross finish line first, I can speak with journalist and explain what really happened," she said. "I knew I must do it — and give this voice from Ukraine."
Draped in her new hardware, she beamed, "It's a great marathon, it's a special day for me, for all my country" on Instagram. "Thank you my Jerusalem sport family❤️ I did it because I feel your support❤️ I wish you new records😉 and PEACE ❤️," she wrote on the marathon's Instagram page.
Veretska, whose runner husband is back home fighting, left her native Ukraine days into the war with her 11-year-old daughter, Alisa, in a grueling journey into Poland. "I see bombs, helicopter, everything. I just knew my daughter should be safe. When we were first attacked, I took my daughter and her doll. We ran and drove," she said. "When I come to the border, it was a million people. It was horrible." She said she waited 15 hours to cross into Poland, but saw horror and death instead of hope. "I saw someone sleep in the cold and not wake up. People died at the border just because of cold and no food."
Her home city of Mykolaiv, between Odessa and Kherson, is now a bombed-out city that's been battered into oblivion. Her home was destroyed days ago, and she says she can't reach her loved ones. "It's very difficult — I can't contact my family. They stay underground. It's still not very safe, it's not normal life," she said, adding that her husband, who found out that she won the marathon, managed to call her and express his pride at her fortitude and uncommon constitution.
"This marathon was my dream, but after the war start, I didn't train," she said. "I had no power to run."
She attributes her success to the energy of Israel. "It's the power of positive energy," she said. "After the war the started, I saw only depression and stress. Now, there are people smiling around me. Now people around me just have fun — smile and full of energy."
While Veretska always dreamed of running this marathon, she didn't dare dream she would have a shot to run it in the wake of the war. But when marathon organizers extended an invitation two weeks before the run, a rare ray of hope emerged. "I didn't train — it was depression, stress and no running," admitted Veretska, who recognized this opportunity as a gift she couldn't ignore. "Even with two weeks' preparation, I thought I should do it," she said, adding that as a first-time visitor, she wasn't prepared for how the land of Israel would embrace her. "I wasn't scared. I've never been here before, but Israel feels like home."
The athlete, who's completed three marathons before this, said she felt enveloped by the land and people. "Ever since I arrived, I've been very quiet — not nervous.... The holy land has helped me."
The marathon's social media manager, Asaf Shaked, told Insider he began corresponding with Veretska a few weeks ago, while she was in Krakow, and scrambled to help arrange a visa and flights to Israel. "And she won the marathon," he said. "It's an unbelievable story."
At least one supporter believed all along she would take home the hardware. Veretska's daughter, Alisa, who stayed back in Poland, had drawn a picture of her mom atop a podium, bookended by an Israeli and Ukrainian flag, and sent her a photo of it before the race. "I told her it's more than 20,000 people," Veretska said. "But today the picture came true. She knows I'm going to win."
Veretska told Insider that she believed she got a sign during the arduous run, amidst dealing with unusual cold, rain and wind, around the 18-kilometer mark while running uphill. "It was so emotional – rain, sun and rainbow. It was a perfect view. Even now I'm full of emotion," she said, adding, "It pushed me on my back. It was like a gift, like I have no boundaries."
In the euphoria of her win, Veretska said that she hopes her newfound fame can help send a message of unity for her people and homeland. "I felt I could protect the land, to go to an international competition and say to people and to the world our situation in Ukraine. Some people think it's not true," she said, noting the distorted information surrounding the war. "I hope the world will support us, to help Ukraine."
She wants to send the world a simple message: "We're normal people – we want a normal life for our kids. I wish this war in Ukraine will stop and people have normal, happy life – not cry. Normal for kids and building new houses and new city."
Veretska, who plans to return to Poland to reunite with her daughter, sees this win as a symbol of world unity. "I know this marathon and my victory is only for peace – everybody wish peace, and everybody ran for peace. It's my wish here. I'm in the holy land – it's not only my wish, but for the whole world: peace."