74-year old Belarusian ran 23 marathons over year with white-red-white flag (Photo)

A dweller of the town of Zhodzina Syarhei Karalenka has been participating in marathons in uniform with a national white-red-white flag since 2004.

Andrei Karalenka became interested in running only when he was 64. It was a surprise for his kins when he ran 31 kilometres at the age of 70. He wears uniform with a white-red-white flag when he runs official marathons, the newspaper “Salidarnast” writes.

Andrei Karalenka worked as a design engineer for BelAZ plant for 30 years, was a member of the Zhodzina city council, aide to a member of the Supreme Council. He began to speak Belarusian when Belarus got independence, joined the Belarusian Popular Front, visited demonstrations.

After retirement, he wasn’t very active. He didn’t even think about his physical form. Only an unexpected find turned him to sport.

In winter 2000< Karalenka found some puppies near his summer house. He took one f the home, and began to exercise the dog in spring. The small dog was so fast that Andrei had to run to catch it.

Then the 64-old pensioner decided to put on trainers instead of shoes. He trained enough to run 3 kilometres. When a dog died, he continued running alone. Once, he was invited to running amateurs club at BelAZ.

Andrei ran 10 kilometres at Minsk Autumn 2001. Some years later, at the age of 70, he surprised his family by having run 31 kilometres at a marathon in Maladzechna.

“The most difficult distance for me is 5 kilometres. Participants run fast. I am old, but I don’t want to be behind younger women,” Andrei Karalenka tells “Salidarnast”. “10 kilometres are better – you don’t need to hurry. You can run 4 kilometres, you feels you are able to run 14.”

74-year old Andrei regrets to say that he is not a marathon runner.

“Guys told me that a marathon distance is at least 42 kilometres. I have run only 31. So, I’ve never taken part in real marathon,” he says.

Andrei is a sight-disabled person, but this doesn’t impede him to run. On the contrary, sport helps him.

“When I started to run, my condition has become better. My doctor said I needn’t take some medicines anymore!” the pensioner notes. “Maybe sport helps me to preserve the sight at all...”

Andrei is not the oldest runner, but he always stands out. Karalenka runs in tracksuit with national white-red-white flags.

“I am the only one. It was unusual for other runners at first, but all people are equal at race. Only my friend Hena Sakalouski doesn’t like my suit, he says I am an oppositionist. I am not an oppositionist, I am a Belarusian, this is my home, my land. The Opposition is those who prefer red and green colours,” Andrei thinks.

Karalenka adds he understands runners in red and green tracksuits.

He remembers one disappointing event. On July 3, 2009, the pensioner was detained before the Minsk Marathon. He was guarded to a militia department and released some hours later.

The pensioner from Zhlobin took part in 23 maratnons in Brest, Babruisk, Moscow, St Petersburg, Zhlobin, etc and ran several marathons of 10 and 21 km (half marathons) last year. His latest marathon was held In Minsk near the track-an-field complex in late December. The air temperature was -15 degrees Celsius. Andrei runs three times a week when the weather is not very cold: 7–10 km on Tuesday, 7–10 km on Thursday, 15 km on Sunday. He feels free when he runs.