Challenge from the head of Ülemiste Centre: Run faster than me and support Olympic athletes with five euros

At the Ülemiste Night Run, taking place on August 15, the head of the centre, Guido Pärnits, will invite participants to take part in a charity challenge. For each person who runs the 5-kilometre distance on Friday faster than Pärnits, Ülemiste Centre will donate 5 euros to support outstanding Estonian athletes preparing to take part in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

“Estonian athletes have given our people countless powerful emotions and memories, and they deserve more support from us. This charity challenge is for everyone who values sports and wants to give something back to our heroes,” said Guido Pärnits. “To take part in the charity initiative, you just have to run faster than me — which isn’t that difficult.”

Pärnits will run the 5-kilometre distance at the Ülemiste Night Run, the starting times of which are set for Friday, August 15, at 22:00 and 22:03. He has run this distance as part of the Night Run for the past five years. Last year, he completed it in just over 34 minutes, finishing in 812th place.

“It is symbolic that a major public sporting event can contribute to the Olympic journey of Estonia’s top athletes,” Pärnits added. “We all want our athletes to achieve great results at the Olympic Games, and now each of us can help – without much effort – just by going for a run. In doing so, we help make athletes’ dreams come true while also taking care of our own health.”

Ülemiste Centre has already reached an agreement with the Estonian Olympic Committee that the donation will be directed to the EOC's crowdfunding platform Minu Sportlane. Launched this summer, the platform allows anyone – from schoolchildren to grandparents, from companies to all kinds of organisations – to support Estonian athletes on their journey to the top. Every contribution will reach the chosen athlete or team in full, with no commission deducted, and under the supervision of the EOC.

For his part, Pärnits has decided to support the Alexela Team Estonia – a team preparing for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, which includes three leading athletes: épée fencer Katrina Lehis, swimmer Kregor Zirk, and decathlete Karel Tilga.

Kristo Tohver, Secretary General of the Estonian Olympic Committee, considers Guido Pärnits’ initiative a great example of how sport can unite and inspire society. “When movement and support come together, it creates something more than just support — it becomes a shared journey. It’s truly heartening to see such initiatives, and I hope the example will prove contagious.”

Read more about the Ülemiste Night Run: https://eestimaraton.ee/et/sundmused?competition_id=44

Read more about the Minu Sportlane platform: https://minusportlane.ee