Ülemiste Centre Director’s challenge brought decathlete Karel Tilga 6,810 euros

Nearly 2,600 people took part in the five-kilometre distances of the Ülemiste Night Run on Friday evening, driven not only by the joy of running but also by a charity challenge: to run faster than the director of Ülemiste Centre, Guido Pärnits. The result was a total of 6,810 euros raised in support of decathlete Karel Tilga, the best-placed Estonian at this year’s European Championships.

For every person who crossed the finish line of the five-kilometre distances ahead of Pärnits, Ülemiste Centre added 5 euros in support of Karel Tilga through the Estonian Athletics Association (EKJL). The donation was directed to Tilga because that same week he finished 5th in the decathlon at the European Championships in Birmingham, the best result among Estonians. A total of 1,362 people ran faster than Pärnits, while Pärnits himself completed the distance in 37 minutes and 8 seconds.

“The challenge we set at the Ülemiste Night Run last night was one of those where I was hoping to lose to as many people as possible. Fortunately, the runners did not let me down, and a substantial sum was raised for Estonia’s decathletes,” said director of Ülemiste Centre Guido Pärnits. “Estonian athletes have given our people many powerful emotions and deserve greater support for it. Our challenge is a good example of how the private sector can support Estonian sport and do so in a joyful way.”

Karel Tilga welcomed the support with delight. “It is a wonderful feeling to know that while we were competing in Birmingham, thousands of people in Estonia were running in support of the decathletes. An initiative like this connects elite sport and recreational sport in a very direct way and shows that decathlon genuinely matters to people.” He added: “Grassroots sport and recreational physical activity play an important role in the long-term health of Estonian society. To help secure the future of Estonian decathlon, I will direct 20 per cent of the support I received to Estonian youth combined events.”

In the view of the EKJL, the project connects recreational sport and elite sport in a special way. EKJL President Madis Kallas stressed that supporting elite sport is a joint contribution of the whole society. “Reaching the top in sport and staying there is very costly, which is why the contribution of businesses is extremely important. The initiative of Ülemiste Centre ingeniously ties together grassroots sport and elite sport, giving every runner a chance to become a supporter of Estonian combined events,” said Kallas.

A similar challenge, held for the first time last year, directed its support through the Estonian Olympic Committee’s platform minusportlane.ee to Estonian athletes preparing for the Los Angeles Olympic Games, raising €5,270 in support of top athletes.