For the ninth time, runners from across the region came to Iwiny to run and compete, but above all to provide financial support to someone who needs it. This time, the beneficiary was eight-year-old resident of Tomaszów Bolesławiecki Mateusz Waśniewski. An exceptionally cheerful boy whom, unfortunately, fate has burdened with Down syndrome and several other conditions.
The Little Run for Mateusz attracted many runners ranging in age from a few to several dozen years. The youngest competed over 1 km, middle-school students over 3 km, and everyone who wanted to run farther took part in the main 5.6-km race.
The routes ran along a gravel road through the forest, on the so-called Okmiany Rampart, above the village of Iwiny. Interest in the run exceeded the organizers’ expectations, and at one point the race numbers had to be replenished!
A total of 242 people started in the main race and 41 in the children’s races, making 283 participants altogether. This probably makes it the largest run in Bolesławiec County and the largest sporting event in the Warta Bolesławiecka municipality.
The run, as well as the entire “Running Grand Prix of the Copper Basin” series, is supported by the Regional Sports Centre in Lubin. However, the main organizers of the event in Iwiny were the Municipal Cultural Centre in Warta Bolesławiecka and the Student Sports Clubs Orientpark.pl and Tukan Iwiny.
Mateusz’s family and friends were heavily involved in the organization. Mateusz himself took part in baking more than 300 gingerbread cookies, which were given to all race participants. His family and friends also baked a dozen or so cakes, which delighted the runners’ palates and stomachs.
The run was not the only attraction that day. The Bolesławiec Winter Swimmers group bathed in a previously prepared pool of cold water, capturing the spectators’ attention and bringing enormous joy.
After the outdoor attractions, everyone went to the building of the School and Preschool Complex in Iwiny, where the cooks prepared delicious goulash soup, while the owners of Piekarnia Familijna in Warta Bolesławiecka donated the soup rolls free of charge.
Then the stand with homemade baked goods and free tea and coffee was besieged. After replenishing their fluids and calories, participants could move on to the official part—the race summary. It was a very kind gesture when Krzysztof Kozioł, representing the Young Talent Discovery Centre in Bolesławiec, presented Mateusz with two balls, including one signed by the Polish women’s national football team! This was followed by an auction of sports shoes (sponsor: MSPORT sports shop from Lubin) and a large jar of honey. Nearly three hundred zlotys was added to the collection tin, which was publicly handed over to Mateusz’s family. Altogether, we collected nearly PLN 3,500!!!
The winners received additional gingerbread cookies and honey. Below is the list of winners. The full results can be found here: https://feniks-timing.pl/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Wyniki_GPZM_IWINY_OPEN.pdf.
1-km run
- girls
- Karolina Zawada
- Julia Bernacik
- Marcelina Zawada
- boys
- Gabriel Sadowski
- Jacek Świtaniak
- Kamil Trzcinka
3-km run
- girls
- Wiktoria Kowalczyk
- boys
- Tadeusz Suszek
- Łukasz Kata
- Alex Kurleto
Main race
Open M
- Tobiasz Belgrau
- Wojciech Pachnik
- Jerzy Jagielski
Open K
- Anna Ficner
- Klaudia Petters
- Ewa Paduch
M12
- Stanisław Pachnik
- Dawid Lachowski
- Patryk Panasiewicz
K12
- Klaudia Petters
- Anna Mydłowska
- Katarzyna Bik
M16
- Jakub Sztoń
- Mateusz Bobrowski
- Dominik Zając
K20
- Małgorzata Szeliga
- Kaja Iwan
- Katarzyna Czesnakowicz
M30
- Jerzy Jagielski
- Paweł Muniak
- Dominik Komendacki
K30
- Anna Ficner
- Emilia Kuźmiak
- Sabina Rzepa
M40
- Przemysław Lachowski
- Tomasz Hucał
- Piotr Machoń
K40+
- Ewa Paduch
- Małgorzata Topolan
- Joanna Chłodnicka
M50
- Andrzej Rydz
- Krzysztof Skiba
- Bogusław Hyży
M60+
- Tadeusz Perłakowski
- Włodzimierz Rapacki
- Jerzy Dąbrowski.
Dariusz Pachnik, one of the race’s co-organizers:
So far—and this was the sixth of eleven Grand Prix stages—this was the largest run, thanks to the participation of runners from Bolesławiec in the Copper Basin running community and, what pleases us most, residents of the Warta Bolesławiecka municipality. As you can see, running’s popularity has also reached our area.
It is only regrettable that the appeals by the physical education teachers at the school in Iwiny, as well as their personal example—they took part in the run—were not motivating enough for our middle-school students to participate in large numbers. A representation of just a few students and the absence of any girl, apart from one seventh-grader, do not encourage positive reflection. Admittedly, a fairly large group of second-year girls helped organize the run as volunteers, but a certain sense of disappointment remains.
The pupils of primary schools, mainly from Iwiny and Raciborowice, definitely improve the mood. They turned up in large numbers at the start of the 1-km and 3-km races. Several brave ones ran the main distance. Dear children, keep it up, and parents, help ensure that their enthusiasm does not fade!!!
The Little Run for Mateusz is a model of cooperation between public institutions, associations and ordinary people. It greatly integrates the local community, strengthens ties between runners from the region and promotes our municipality.
Heartfelt thanks to the volunteers who joined the organizational efforts. Thanks to the staff of the School and Preschool Complex for preparing the refreshments and cleaning the entire building. Thanks to the sponsors and everyone who contributed in any way to organizing the event.
We warmly greet everyone and invite you to our upcoming events. The first will take place on April 13–15 in Bolesławiec and in Dworek near Lwówek Śląski. A three-day international orienteering event, “Mysteries of Lower Silesia,” will be held then, and at the end of the year we plan to organize the New Year’s Eve Run.
The media patron of the Run for Mateusz was the portal and newspaper istotne.pl.