Photo source: Kyiv Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International / General Staff of Ukraine’s armed forces / Facebook
The renowned Soldier Field 10 memorial race, one of the best-known sporting events in the United States, took place in downtown Chicago on May 23, 2026. This year, as part of the official Memorial Day Weekend events and ahead of Ukraine’s National Barrier-Free Week, a delegation of 10 Ukrainian service members joined American veterans.
Rubryka reports this, citing the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s Facebook page.
As Russia continues its brutal daily attacks on Ukrainian cities, the participation of Ukrainian defenders in the race served as an important reminder to the world that the war, losses, and struggle continue every day. At the same time, the joint start demonstrated deep solidarity between Ukraine and the United States, bringing participants together through their shared experience of service and honoring the fallen.
The memorial part of the event included a special tribute to Ukraine. During the opening ceremony, the Ukrainian delegation joined the traditional “Circle of Remembrance” ritual. Before the start of the 10-mile and 10-kilometer races, the organizers separately remembered and honored five fallen Ukrainian heroes.
Photo source: Kyiv Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International / General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine / Facebook
Photo source: Kyiv Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International / General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine / Facebook
As a sign of deep respect for the sacrifice of the Ukrainian people and the veterans fighting for freedom, the head of the delegation, retired Major General Volodymyr Havrylov, was ceremonially presented with the United States national flag.
Vira Eliashevska, co-chair of the Kyiv Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International, emphasized that it was a great honor for the community to host Ukrainian service members and pay tribute together to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom of both countries:
“We are proud to participate in Soldier Field 10 to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to America and Ukraine — those who fought for freedom. We are sincerely grateful to the organizers for inviting our Ukrainian military personnel and the major general to join in honoring the five fallen Ukrainian heroes during today’s opening ceremony before the races…”
The delegation was led by Volodymyr Havrylov, former deputy defense minister of Ukraine and director of the Veteran Ten charity foundation, who has spent many years working on the rehabilitation of wounded soldiers. Among those who took part in the race was veteran Yurii Tsyntylevych. Despite severe combat wounds sustained while defending Ukraine and a difficult recovery process, he successfully completed the Soldier Field 10 distance, becoming a living symbol of the unbreakable Ukrainian spirit that does not fade even after returning from the front.
Photo source: Kyiv Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International / General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine / Facebook
In addition to the sporting event, the Ukrainian service members’ visit included an extensive cultural and memorial program. They visited the Ukrainian National Museum, the Institute of Contemporary Art, the school at St. Nicholas Cathedral, and St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Bloomingdale, where they honored the memory of the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred and the victims of the Holodomor. One especially emotional moment was the laying of a wreath at the grave of Mykhailo Yavorskyi, call sign “Chicago.” A US Army veteran of Ukrainian descent, he returned after the start of the full-scale invasion to defend the land of his ancestors. He was killed in 2023 while saving his comrades, for which he was posthumously awarded the title Hero of Ukraine.
The trip ended on a warm, informal note: after the official events, the service members watched Oleksandr Usyk’s boxing match together, and the final stop of their stay in Chicago will be a visit to the iconic house from the film “Home Alone.”
Background
This important visit was made possible by the efforts of organizers and partners, including the Kyiv Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International, the Veteran Ten, and Vesna! foundations, Revived Soldiers Ukraine, and the Ukrainian Running Club Chicago. The Ukrainian defense technology developer Infozahyst and the Heritage Foundation of First Federal Savings Bank of Pevnist provided financial and logistical support for the project.
