On the International Day of Peace, the charity ultramarathon “Beyond Borders: Monaco to Ukraine” finished in Lviv. Swiss athlete and philanthropist Frédéric Splendor covered more than 4,200 km across 14 European countries — from Monaco to Ukraine — to draw attention to Russia’s war against Ukraine and to raise funds for humanitarian aid.
The final point of the route was the Lychakiv military cemetery in Lviv. There, the runner paid tribute to the fallen Defenders of Ukraine, noting that he was especially struck by how many of those killed were so young.
“The journey from Monaco to this place took 60 days. I travelled the route with Ukrainian colours on my rucksack, and I am happy to be in Ukraine. But at the same time, I am very sad… Because some of the people to whom this memorial site is dedicated were younger than me… I hope you will bring this war to an end, and that the children of everyone here (the fallen service personnel — Ed.) will never know what war is. I believe in the Ukrainian people,” said Frédéric Splendor.
The 33-year-old athlete began his 60-day run on 24 July in Monaco. Each day he covered 70 to 100 km on foot, and the most challenging part of the route took him across the Alps. Splendor’s route took in Monaco, France, Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, Italy again, Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovakia, Poland, and finished in Ukraine.
Throughout the journey, the ultramarathon runner carried a rucksack in the Ukrainian colours and deliberately chose Ukraine as the end point, stressing that this is a European country at war. He pointed out that it is about 1,700 km from Switzerland to Ukraine, and that this distance is not great, even though many people in Western Europe feel that the war is far away.
Along the route, Splendor held meetings with Ukrainians and with representatives of local communities in different countries. In particular, in Budapest he visited the “Shoes on the Danube Bank” memorial dedicated to victims of mass shootings during the Second World War.
The charity component of the project is being implemented through the Swiss association Au-delà de l’Effort. The funds raised during the marathon are being transferred to the Chaîne du Bonheur (Swiss Solidarity) fund to support Ukrainians affected by the war. The money is expected to be directed towards humanitarian needs, housing reconstruction, medical assistance and educational projects. The fundraising target is around 140,000 euros.
Frédéric Splendor is a Swiss ultramarathon runner and philanthropist, and a former professional firefighter. He is the 2023 Swiss champion over 100 km and the 2024 national runner-up, and his personal best in the marathon is approximately 2 hours 22 minutes. In 2018, he had already covered a similar distance — about 4.3 thousand kilometres on foot along the Pacific Crest Trail in the USA.
Video of the marathon finish in Lviv: watch via this link.