This year's traditional half-marathon around Našice brought together four runners, including Croatian veterans, paying tribute to the victims of the Homeland War on the 31st anniversary of Operation Storm.
On Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day, August 5, 2026, four runners from Našice completed the jubilee 10th half-marathon of 22 kilometers. The route connected several places around Našice, all in memory of fallen comrades and on the occasion of the 31st anniversary of the military-police operation "Operation Storm."
The runners Dragan Jović, Siniša Malovčak, Siniša Kanis, and Zdenko Grahovac started in front of the Pejačević Castle in Našice. Their path led through Našički Markovac, Jelisavac, Lila, and Velimirovac, and after completing the loop, at Dr. Franjo Tuđman Square, they lit candles in front of the "Resurrected Croatia" memorial as a tribute to all victims of the Homeland War.
The race initiator and vice-president of the Association of Croatian Veterans Treated for PTSD of the Virovitica-Podravina County, Siniša Kanis, explained how the tradition began in 2017, when the 22nd anniversary of "Operation Storm" was marked.
"It all started symbolically in 2017, when we marked the 22nd anniversary of 'Operation Storm,' in which I myself participated as a 22-year-old. The half-marathon is 22 kilometers long, so I proposed this idea back then. The guys accepted it, and here we are, ten years of this humane and patriotic run in honor of all our fallen friends and Croatian veterans who are no longer with us. As long as there are any of us and as long as we can, we will run for them and for our 'Storm,' the battle of all battles,"
Kanis stated for ICV Virovitica.
Kanis emphasized that through this sporting gesture, the participants once again confirmed that no name of a Croatian veteran will ever be forgotten and that the Croatian heart always beats strongest. The co-organizer of this year's event was the Association of Croatian Veterans Treated for PTSD of the Virovitica-Podravina County.
