Uroš Gutić from Nevesinje, a member of the Athletic Club Borac from Banja Luka, has defended his title as the fastest runner at the Street Race in Derventa, leaving behind Mlađen Samardžić from Brčko and the Russian Ivan Bubnov.
Gutić praised the organization, describing the course as interesting. “The track has its ups and downs, a flat stretch, a downhill, then an uphill, and the home stretch is flat with lots of spectators. I hope to return next year,” said Gutić.
Among the women, the fastest was Jelena Gajić from Prnjavor, with Tea Faber from AK Fit Zaprešić and last year’s winner Sladjana Stamenković from Belgrade’s Red Star also reaching the podium.
Gajić emphasized the high level of competition, “Faber is an excellent athlete accustomed to such tracks. I am more of a sprinter, so this victory is particularly significant for me,” said Gajić.
Dalibor Vrhovac, the coach from Derventa’s Athletic Club, reminded that the tradition of street races on the city’s WWII Liberation Day was revived last year with support from the City Administration and local businesses.
“Apart from participants from Republika Srpska and BiH, we also have guests from Serbia, Croatia, and Montenegro. We have more than 500 participants, slightly more than last year, and I hope that in the coming years we will see competitors from across Europe,” highlighted Vrhovac, adding that 22 races were held.
Duško Ivičić, President of the Athletic Association of BiH and Republika Srpska, mentioned that Derventa has traditionally been a good host and that this year’s street race has reached a higher level in terms of overall organization and the number of participants.
“We owe our thanks to everyone who prepared this street race in such a wonderful way. It means a lot to us at the Athletic Association as it promotes the city and athletics, as well as sports in general,” said Ivičić.
Siniša Jeftić, Deputy Mayor of Derventa, expressed his satisfaction that “the queen of sports” is back in Derventa, a city once known for it. “We provided support to all participants and organizers who deserved to bring this event back to the streets of Derventa. Mr. Vrhovac has created conditions for promoting and popularizing this sport by registering the club, and the City Administration is actively working on developing the necessary infrastructure at the City Stadium,” stated Jeftić.
The race, held under the patronage of Derventa’s Mayor Milorad Simić, the Ministry of Family, Youth and Sports of Republika Srpska, and numerous friends, was organized by the Athletic Club Derventa with support from the Tourist Organization of the city of Derventa.
The race is included in the calendars of the athletic associations of Republika Srpska and BiH, as well as the European Athletic Association.
Source: RTRS
