Employees of Cherkizovo Group, Russia’s largest manufacturer of meat products, took part in the Running Hearts Green Marathon in Moscow. The race was organized by the Naked Heart Foundation and Sberbank.
Charity races are very popular all over the world. Every year, thousands of people travel hundreds of kilometers to show their support for the cause, conquer the marathon distance, and help those in need. In 2017, Sberbank and the Naked Heart Foundation announced their cooperation and merged two major running events into the Running Hearts Green Marathon.
“Over the years, our marathon has grown into an important platform for highlighting the Foundation’s work with services that support families raising children with special needs,” said Natalia Vodianova, the founder of the Naked Heart Foundation. “Early intervention for children with special needs is key to ensuring they have fulfilling lives. For the runners, the most important thing is reaching the finish line. For children with special needs, it is getting the support they need at the start!”
Four previous races helped raise almost RUB 140 million, which were donated to the Naked Heart Foundation. The race attracts record numbers of Olympic and Paralympic champions, theater and cinema actors, artists, journalists and business people, as well as corporate running teams of large companies and media (TV and press) outlets. The distances are 4.2 km, 10 km (including a separate race for wheelchair users) and, for the first time, a marathon of 42.2 km.
“For me, Running Hearts is a chance to challenge myself and prove that I can go the distance while at the same time supporting an important charity project which brings together people of all ages and sports backgrounds,” says Valeriya Lyamina from Cherkizovo Group. “This was my first race, but I'm sure it won't be the last. It's not just about the running – it’s also about helping people. Join us!”
This year, the participants included Herman Gref, Maksim Liksutov, Lev Khasis, Andrey Sharonov, Natalia Vodianova, Tatiana Navka, Svetlana Masterkova, Alexei Nemov, Svetlana Khorkina, Darya Poverennova, Albina Dzhanabaeva, Ingeborga Dapkunaite, Mikhail Trubetskoy and many more. Cherkizovo also took part in the Green Marathon held in Penza.
All costs associated with the organization of the event are fully covered by the sponsors and partners. All singers, DJs, announcers, musicians and photographers worked without pay, with all the funds raised by the participants and corporate teams transferred in full to the Naked Heart Foundation.
