Cardiff Half: Ukraine refugee's Mother's Day race emotion

Inna is thinking of her mother Oksana, who remains in Ukraine on Mother's Day

Completing the Cardiff Half Marathon on Mother's Day had extra significance for one Ukrainian runner.

Inna Gordiienko fled her homeland as the war loomed, and said she would be thinking of her mother and grandmother who remain in the war-torn country.

Some 27,000 runners aimed to complete the 13.1-mile (20km) course around the Welsh capital.

They included a woman who was unable to walk after breaking both legs and a seven-month pregnant mother-to-be.

Inna, 29, ran the Cardiff race in 2019 but never imagined she would be returning so soon, and as a refugee.

She fled Kyiv five weeks ago with her British husband and Welsh corgi terrier Cooper.

Inna is staying in Littlehampton, West Sussex, with her husband and Welsh corgi terrier

However, her mother Oksana is among the millions displaced, living close to the Moldovan border, while her 79-year-old grandmother is trying to stay alive in a bomb shelter in Kharkiv.

Inna has no idea when she will return home or when she will see her family again. She simply wants the war to end and carried that message around the Welsh capital.

"It's just unbelievable what is happening in my country," she said.

"At first we thought we'd be able to go home and get on with our lives but that didn't happen and I got a call from my mother at 04:00 one day saying the Russians were bombing her in Kharkiv.

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"I managed to convince my mum to leave the city but my grandmother refuses to leave, even though the Russians have bombed Kharkiv almost out of existence. She lost half her flat in a raid.

"It was heart-breaking to hear my mum full of fear and uncertainty while I am safe. My grandmother tells me how scared she is to possibly lose her life in such an unfair way.

"Many of my friends are spending days underground in basements, simply trying to stay alive. I'm lucky to be where I am and felt I had to try to do something, anything to help raise money and awareness."

Inna Gordiienko pictured after completing the race on Sunday

Before Sunday's race, she said: "I'll be running the race for my country, my home and my loved ones. I will be thinking about my mum and grandmother every step of the way."

A minute's applause was held at the start line to show support to those affected by the conflict, and a collection to support the humanitarian effort.

Inna's is one of many remarkable stories of those taking on the challenge of running more than 20km.

Hannah Barrett was 26 and travelling through Australia when a car crash turned her life upside down.

She survived the accident which killed her friend Savannah, but was knocked unconscious and woke up unable to walk after breaking both her legs.

After months of intense rehabilitation, she was told she would probably never be able to run again. Five years on and she was running in her friend's memory.

"I don't like being told I can't do something," she said.

"I was told… 'don't think about it - you're going to have arthritic knees - just don't go down it. It won't be good for you'.

"I went to a physio myself and said 'Do you think I can?' - and she said 'why not?'.

"Because I was serious about it, I thought I'm going to do this."

Hannah, pictured left, survived the crash which killed her friend Savannah, also pictured, but broke both her legs

Dealing with joint pains from the car accident has been mentally demanding for Hannah.

"Mentally - getting rid of the 'I can't walk, I can't run' - that's been the hardest thing for me," she said.

"That's far bigger than the physical. That for me was the hardest thing.

"I'd been in this accident. My legs didn't work like they should. Even to stand up for the first time, I felt so heavy. My legs had no weight through them for months.

"So much of it is mental. You've just got to learn to trust your body and so going from nothing to walking was hard enough. Getting into the running was just trial and error. Putting one foot in front of the other and we'll see what happens."

'Emotional'

Crossing the finish line will be "overwhelming" for Hannah Barrett

Alongside conquering her injuries, Hannah also has type 1 diabetes and is raising money for the Diabetes Research and Wellness Foundation.

She said she would be thinking of her friend, Savannah, as she crossed the finish line.

"She's with me every day. We were both 26 when we had the accident. Her life finished at 26 and I think about all these things that I want to do with my life - and I can," she said.

"I know she'd be thinking I was crazy.

"But too many people in society don't push boundaries. They don't push outside their comfort zone. I think life is actually outside your comfort zone."

Alex Jones will have a baby by the next Mother's Day

Alongside those running in memory of loved ones, Alex Jones, from Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, was running while seven months pregnant.

"Some people are concerned, some are horrified and others think it's a positive," she said, ahead of the race.

"It's helped me stay quite fit and strong, which will help during labour.

"It's probably going to be quite emotional to get to the end. But I'm hoping that it'll be a really nice story to tell the baby in a few years time. I'm hoping to dedicate the medal to her."

'It's part of the Welsh culture'

On the finishing line: Some 27,000 runners aimed to complete the race

Race director and former Olympian Steve Brace anticipated a great day in the Welsh capital after 903 days without the race.

Postponed twice due to the Covid pandemic, the Cardiff Half Marathon is still the second largest half-marathon in the UK after the Great North Run.

Sunday's race was the largest mass participation event to take place in Wales since the start of the pandemic.

"It's grown tremendously over the years and it's now part of the Welsh culture... our London Marathon," said Steve.

"It's now up there in the world events, our opportunity to showcase the city through all the landmarks, from water, to all the suburbs and the lake."

Artist Nathan Wyburn got into the running spirit to create this year's finisher's T-shirt

After crossing the finish line, runners received a T-shirt specially designed by Cardiff artist Nathan Wyburn.

Fittingly, he created the picture by stepping and running in blue paint.

"It feels absolutely amazing," he said in advance. "To know that over 20,000 people will be wearing my work… with pride as well… because they will be super proud to have finished the marathon.

"As far as I'm aware, nobody's ever designed a half-marathon T-shirt with their feet before."