Road to the New York City Marathon

My dream of completing all six World Marathon Majors began in the fall of 2021 — when running became something far more than just another hobby. It started as a healthy habit to balance my sedentary desk job: little movement, little sleep, poor nutrition, too many unhealthy habits, and too much extra weight. At 37, it felt like the right moment to take my life in a different direction.

Then came February 24, 2022. Russian tanks surrounded Kyiv, missiles filled the air, and thoughts shifted from “healthy lifestyle” to simply “staying alive.”
But even in those circumstances, I didn’t abandon my dream of becoming a Six Star World Marathon Majors Finisher — I just added the words before I die. The war in Ukraine has fundamentally changed my life. I’ve learned to value every single day as if it might be my last.

That spring, one of the only joyful moments I experienced was seeing the charge on my credit card confirming my entry into the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon lottery. My training began under the sound of air raid sirens and alongside signs warning of landmines. The idea of running the largest marathon in the world — a journey through all five boroughs of New York City — completely captured my imagination.

During my long runs in Kyiv, I turned the city into New York in my mind: the Dnipro embankment became the East River, the Motherland Monument the Statue of Liberty. Visualizing myself running the NYC Marathon gave me the strength to keep going. Running helped me cope with the stress of war, improved my health, my work performance, and my mindset. I slept better, ate better, dropped all unhealthy habits, and even built a “runner’s wardrobe” with at least twelve pairs of shoes.

War conditions made training so surreal — sandbags, military checkpoints, and curfews everywhere — that the COVID rules still on paper felt oddly comforting, almost like a memory of a safer time.

The World’s Largest Marathon

I couldn’t travel to New York in 2022 and asked NYRR to defer my entry to 2023. They not only agreed but, as an exception, refunded my 2022 entry fee in full — an act of kindness, and a message of hope from afar. On November 6, 2022 — the day of the NYC Marathon — I unexpectedly found myself a spectator at a local race in Kyiv. That was the day I first connected with the running community I would later join, a group of some of the strongest amateur and professional runners in the city. Training with them soon gave me structure, discipline, and inspiration.

Over the next eight months, I lost 44 pounds and improved my VO₂ max, sleep, nutrition, and overall fitness. The result? My first marathon — the 2023 BMW Berlin Marathon — in 2:58:42. That performance qualified me for the 2024 Chicago and 2025 Boston Marathons.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it to New York in 2023 either, but the hope kept me fit and motivated.

Sub-3 Again in London

In 2024, I secured a place in the London Marathon. My preparation wasn’t as strong as Berlin’s, but thanks to starting in the first wave, incredible crowd support, pacer Konstantinos Chouvardas, my Alphafly 3 shoes, Maurten fuel, and the belief of my friend Pavlo Chetverikov, I finished under three hours again.

Although the course passed by many of London’s most famous landmarks, the second half of the race was such a struggle that I couldn’t see anything beyond the blue line of the course, the pacer’s ‘Sub 3:00’ flag, and finally the Victoria Memorial at the finish

It was my second major, my third-fastest time among Ukrainians that year — a bittersweet reminder that, for many Ukrainians, marathons are far from a priority in wartime.

Chicago, Boston, and a New Home Base

Just three months later, I ran the Saucony LND 10K and finally took in the London sights I had missed during the marathon: Westminster Bridge, the London Eye, Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus, Big Ben.

Three days later, I began preparing for the 2024 Chicago Marathon — this time in Prospect Park, Brooklyn.

It felt surreal to train for a major while living in New York City. My Strava routes began to feature iconic NYC running spots: Hudson River Greenway instead of Kyiv’s Dnipro embankment (both around 13 mi), Central Park instead of Trukhaniv Island, Prospect Park instead of VDNH. On the horizon, instead of the Motherland Monument — the Statue of Liberty.

I finished the 2024 Chicago Marathon and later the 2025 Boston Marathon. The preparation for these marathons was special — built not just on NYC’s streets and parks but also through NYRR races in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.

The Bronx 10M and the Long-Awaited Fifth Attempt

Now my next start is the NYRR Bronx 10M. It’s special because I’ve completed the NYRR 9+1 program, guaranteeing my entry into the 2026 NYC Marathon.

I missed 2022 and 2023 due to travel restrictions and didn’t win the lottery in 2024 or 2025. But I still had the privilege of cheering from the sidelines in 2024, especially for Conner Mantz and Dakotah Popehn at Mile 20 in the Bronx.

It’s been a long road — from running under air raid sirens in Kyiv to chasing dreams in the world’s greatest races. And now, after years of trying, I have my NYC Marathon place for 2026. I can’t wait to finally run through all five boroughs, hearing the roar of the crowds, and make one more dream come true.