How can you tell that the “Chestnut Run” is just around the corner?

Not from the calendar — from the start of the chestnut bloom! As soon as the chestnut candles appear, we know it’s time to lace up our sneakers and do good deeds.

Chestnuts aren’t just about spring in Kyiv. They are about life blooming despite everything. About our unity, strength, and care. And they — these green giants with white candles — are the symbol of the “Chestnut Run.” Because with them come the first start, the first “let’s go!”, and the finish with a wet back, a smile from ear to ear, and the thought: “I did this for a reason.”

And very soon — we’ll be together again! Some will start on Khreshchatyk, some from the yard of their home in Cherkasy, some in a forest near Vilnius, and some on the waterfront in Lisbon. We’ll run each on our own route, but with a single goal — to support those in need.

This year, we want to gather all these routes together to see where our beloved runners are running. That’s why your starter kit includes a fun addition — a chestnut stencil and colored chalk.

What to do with them?

When you go out on your route — anywhere in Ukraine or abroad:

— Take the stencil and chalk;

— Draw your “chestnut” steps on the pavement (the stencil is just a starting idea — feel free to draw chestnuts with patterns, inscriptions, and other creative ideas, because each drawing is your personal story);

— Take a photo or record a video;

— Mark the location where you are running;

— Share it with us on social media.

We will gather all these “chestnut” steps — and create one big map of love.

Each mark is a reminder: we are together, even if kilometers separate us.