Ultramarathoner Miran: Running from Vukovar to Srebrenica is not physically exhausting, but every step carries emotional pain

(Patria) - Among the thousands who came to Potočari today to pay respects to the victims of the Srebrenica genocide committed against the Bosniak population in July 1995 is Miran, a native of Brčko who has been living and working in Vienna for many years.

Miran became a participant in the Vukovar - Srebrenica 2025 ultramarathon, as he says, by chance.

- The idea was to connect the two largest sites of mass suffering - in the Homeland War of 1991 in Vukovar, and what unfortunately happened in 1995 to the civilian population here in Srebrenica.

We are trying, in a sporting way, through this ultramarathon, to pay tribute to all those innocent victims. We are trying to get that message into every home, into every mind - Miran said in an interview with the Patria News Agency.

He emphasizes that what they are doing certainly elicits reactions from victims, both from Vukovar and Srebrenica.

- Here, while we are waiting for some protocol, people keep approaching us, they always want pictures with us, because they have recognized the value of our activities.

This has been going on for the 14th consecutive year. These activities go through the Council of the Bosniak National Minority of the City of Zagreb - Miran says.

He particularly highlighted his colleague, ultramarathoner and Croatian veteran Duško Štrbac, who is actually the originator of the ultramarathon.

- He is a famous Croatian ultramarathoner, a man with thousands and thousands of kilometers in his legs. We have many of those humanitarian, memorial races behind us - Miran says.

Although he claims to be a semi-professional, he emphasizes that the Vukovar - Srebrenica ultramarathon is physically the easiest for him to run.

- But emotionally it is one of the hardest because every step hurts, because we all know what message is there, what all happened there.

And that is why I would like all those sides to wake up. I know there are also victims of all nations here. The message would be general for everyone - that the world wakes up - Miran concluded in an interview with Patria.

Watch Miran's statement to our portal here.