Runner’s Diary: Ukrainian runs Boston to help homeland
By IGOR KRYTSAK
For The Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) — Igor Krytsak is a 33-year-old Ukrainian who qualified for the Boston Marathon by finishing a personal best 2 hours, 57 minutes, 33 seconds in London last year. When Russia invaded his homeland, he sent his wife and two daughters to safety in Spain. But he could not leave the country without a special permit. Krytsak received permission to run in Boston for humanitarian purposes and arrived in the United States on Saturday. He completed the race on Monday in 3:22:41, wearing a yellow and blue headband and waving a Ukrainian flag that read “I Am Ukrainian And I’m Proud Of It” as he crossed the finish line. He shared his thoughts on the experience with The Associated Press.