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On April 6, the Boston Athletic Association announced that Russian and Belarusian citizens currently residing in either country would be barred from racing the 2022 Boston Marathon. Citizens who are not residents of the countries are still eligible to run.
On February 28, the BAA announced that all 48 Ukrainian entrants to the 2022 Boston Marathon and BAA 5K would receive full refunds or deferrals to a future installment. The announcement came in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
“Like so many around the world, we are horrified and outraged by what we have seen and learned from the reporting in Ukraine,” BAA President and CEO Tom Grilk said in a press release. “We believe that running is a global sport, and as such, we must do what we can to show our support to the people of Ukraine.”
Ukrainian entrants—including Eugen Godun, who ran the 2019 Boston Marathon—were looking forward to the race.
“I love Boston for the atmosphere, for the marathon spirit, and would love to return,” the 30-year-old software engineer told Runner’s World.
But now, in the face of war, races are the last thing on Godun’s mind: “Boston is a great platform to show the Ukrainian flag… But still, I don’t think that it’s possible to move out of the country just to run the Boston Marathon.”
Godun, who ran his qualifying time of 2:46:30 at the New York City Marathon in 2019, is required to stay in Ukraine, along with all men between the ages of 18 and 60, in case there’s a call for more military support.
Even if he were able to leave the country to race, Godun hasn’t been training much. He escaped Kiev in a people-packed car, and was unable to bring running shoes or clothes. Once he arrived in a safer city on Ukraine’s western side, Ivano-Frankivsk, he opted to spend money on supporting the war effort rather than new running gear: “We don’t know how much money we can spend or afford for that. But we are doing as much as we can.”
Godun hopes that Ukrainians living in the U.S., or who have already escaped the country, are able to attend the Boston Marathon to fly the Ukrainian flag. “Also,” he noted, “Boston is already yellow and blue.”
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