This month the city of Kumanovo was home to the Born2run marathon for the fifth time. The marathon has become a well-known tradition among locals, especially youth. With the aim of promoting a spirit of coexistence and mutual trust through sports, and bringing together ethically divided communities in the city, the race has shown that Kumanovo takes great pride in its multi-ethnic society and the celebration of its diversity. As the biggest municipality in the Republic of North Macedonia, Kumanovo is the most ethnically diverse society in the country, with the largest ethnic groups being Albanian, Macedonian, Roma and Serbian, alongside Turkish and Vlach communities.

The race this month was divided into a 3km marathon and a 10km marathon, and more than 300 participants took part. Members of the Poraka Nasha Regional Centre for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities joined the marathon in support of the cause, as special guests of the organiser.

The Young European Ambassadors (YEAs) from North Macedonia also joined the race in the name of peace, tolerance, inclusiveness, respect, and diversity, once again proudly promoting the motto of the YEA network: Celebrate diversity to inspire change! By organising, volunteering, and taking part in the race, young people from the northeast region of North Macedonia set an example for the whole Western Balkans region of what intercultural unity should look like across the Balkans.

The race was organised by the Centre for Intercultural Dialogue NGO, in cooperation with Europe House Kriva Palanka, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe Mission to Skopje and the Municipality of Kumanovo.