Izyaslav Koza has been running through his home country USA, UK, France (and Monaco), Cuba, Ireland, Switzerland, his native country Moldova, and Israel.
Running for love
Slava’s first 6 runs were dedicated to his girlfriend, to who he proposed in 2017, after his run through Switzerland.
Starting in Müstair on the Italian border of Switzerland, Koza ran 500 kilometers (310 miles) across the country to Chancy in the canton of Geneva. The entire run took him from May 22 until May 31.
His Ukrainian born girlfriend flew in to meet him at the end of his run and she said ‘yes’.
Running to remember
Slava completed his most recent run through Israel On June 11, 2022.
“The run is dedicated to the memory of Maria Petrovna Svyatashova, her brother Vasily, and Nikolai Menshikov who came together, risking everything including their own lives and families, all to help save the life of a Jewish orphan during World War 2 when the Nazis occupied Yessentuki, and Pyatigorsk (where Trumpledor was born) in Russia. Many Jews, among them his cousin Dudu, and his neighbors, were murdered but… not the boy.
That boy, is my grandfather, Борис Тульман, who has always served us as a symbol of strength, love, and perseverance and now at least four generations are forever indebted to Maria, Vasily, and Nikolai for their deed. They are the “Righteous.”
“Whoever saves a single life is considered by scripture to have saved the whole world.’
Some part of his run, Slava was accompanied by the “Running Rabbi” David Zenou.
More vids and pics of Slava’s previous runs can be found on his family YouTube channel Planet Goat.
Running for peace and connection
Next challenge will be Luxembourg June 1-6, 2023, followed by 360 KM run across the Netherlands from Vaals to Eemshaven, starting on June 4.
Slava will run to honor the Ukrainian Web Developers Team Crocoblock who, despite the war, keep giving high standard tools and support to website professionals, and enabled to build this platform where runners can connect and support each other. Their preferred cause is United 24.
And he’ll run to support two other great initiatives in Ukraine, Fumi café and Feldman Ecopark.
