Night Run participants raised 6,810 euros for decathlete Karel Tilga through the Ülemiste Centre Director’s challenge

Nearly 2,600 people took part in the five-kilometre distances of the Ülemiste Night Run on the evening of Friday, 14 August, where, alongside their personal time, they also had a charitable goal: to reach the finish line ahead of 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.

Through the Estonian Athletics Association (EKJL), Ülemiste Centre contributed 5 euros in support of Karel Tilga for every runner who completed the five-kilometre distance faster than the centre’s director. The sum 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. Guido Pärnits himself completed the Ülemiste Night Run in 37 minutes and 8 seconds, and 1,362 participants crossed the finish line ahead of him.

“When a company is doing well, it should, where it can, also give something back to society. Estonian sport is certainly one place worth investing in, because our athletes give us emotions in return that money cannot buy,” said director of Ülemiste Centre Guido Pärnits. “This time I was glad to lose to as many runners as possible. A total of 1,362 people did their part, and thanks to them we can hand over 6,810 euros to Karel.”

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.” Tilga also highlighted the broader impact: “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 said before the Night Run 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.