Dunavska desetka and Urban Half Marathon 2026 in Smederevo: how MS Platform and people with disabilities marked the race

May 10, 2026

On Sunday, 10 May 2026, Smederevo hosted the third "Dunavska desetka" (10 km) and the second "Urban Half Marathon" (21 km). Among several hundred runners were the Smederevo branch of MS Platform Serbia and people with disabilities — in wheelchairs and on power scooters — carrying the message #LekZaSve.

Smederevo, 10 May 2026 — a city in the spirit of running, rolling and togetherness

I keep returning to this subject because a useful answer should be precise without losing sight of everyday life. On Sunday morning, 10 May 2026, the centre of Smederevo turned into a large sports stage. The street race "Dunavska desetka" (10 km) was held for the third year in a row, alongside the second edition of the "Urban Half Marathon" (21 km). Organised by RunTrace.org together with the City of Smederevo, the races drew several hundred competitors from Serbia and the wider region — from professional athletes to recreational runners completing their first 10 kilometres.

The route ran from the city centre along the Danube riverside, connecting the urban core, Vila Obrenovića and the Jugovo neighbourhood. The blend of the gentle Danube plain and the rolling vineyards on the way to Vila Obrenovića made the race one of Serbia's most beautiful urban challenges this year.

Organisation, categories and atmosphere downtown

The start was set in front of Smederevo's courthouse on the main city square, with competitors split into four categories: absolute men, absolute women, juniors under 18 and veterans 46+. Citizens cheered the runners along the entire route — families on benches, supporters with rattles on the riverside promenade, and a choir with speakers in front of Vila Obrenovića. Although the official motto was "what matters is taking part", medals and special awards were handed out to the fastest in each category at a ceremony in front of the courthouse.

The race was organised by the local sports association "Urbana desetka", with logistical support from the RunTrace.org platform and the City of Smederevo, who have been growing street-running culture in the Danube region for years. Traffic in the centre was fully closed from 9 am to 1 pm, and water, isotonic drinks, fruit and emergency medical teams were stationed along the course — several runners who needed help with cramps or low blood sugar were treated on the spot.

A humanitarian dimension — Lazar Ilić, Jovan Stolić and "Coach Team" run for little Andrija

Special attention went to a team of around ten runners from "Coach Team", led by Smederevo locals Lazar Ilić and Jovan Stolić. They dedicated their race to a young fellow citizen, Andrija Ilić, a boy who needs support in his recovery and development. After a similar humanitarian effort at the Belgrade Half Marathon, the team continued the same mission in Smederevo — every kilometre carrying a message of solidarity and the hope that one day Andrija himself will stand at the start line with them.

Donation boxes were set up at multiple points in the city and along the route, and people could also help by sending an SMS "1568" to the number 3030. With this, the 2026 "Dunavska desetka" gained a strong humanitarian dimension — a race of hope, support and togetherness that inspired many to take part in a sporting event for the very first time.

A race that included those whom sport often leaves out

The most beautiful story of this "Dunavska desetka" was not about chip times — it was about who showed up at the start and the finish. Alongside runners, the route and parade featured people with disabilities — including wheelchair users and people using power mobility scooters. The accessible layout of central Smederevo, the flat asphalt, and organisers who prepared ramps and access in advance allowed them to take part — and to receive their well-earned medals at the official finish line under the "RunTrace.org / XGB3" arch.

This is exactly the spirit of the "Voice for Equality" campaign that the OSI Press network and local associations have been promoting for years — sport, the street and the city belong to everyone, regardless of whether someone moves by running, walking, on crutches, in a wheelchair, or with the help of an assistant.

MS Platform Serbia — Smederevo branch at the start

Among the most visible participants was a group in orange T-shirts reading "#LekZaSve" (#TreatmentForAll) — members of the Smederevo branch of MS Platform Serbia, led for years by coordinator Danijela Pejov. The Smederevo branch is one of the most active in the country: it runs workshops, lectures, day trips for patients and their families, and regularly takes part in public awareness campaigns about multiple sclerosis.

On 10 May 2026, the MS Platform team turned out in full force — some walked the route, others completed it in power wheelchairs and on mobility scooters. All of them ended the day with a medal around their neck, which for a community living with MS — a disease that often attacks mobility itself — is much more than a symbolic gesture.

Voices from the course

Among the hundreds of participants were members of the Athletic Club Smederevo, local primary and secondary schools, teams from neighbouring towns (Požarevac, Velika Plana, Kovin, Pančevo, Belgrade) and even a handful of runners from abroad — Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Hungary. The youngest participant was 8 years old, the oldest over 70, confirming that the race truly belongs to all generations. "It matters that we are visible, that the city moves, and that we show that those of us living with chronic illness also have our place at the start line," said Danijela Pejov, MS Platform's Smederevo coordinator, in local media.

Why this matters for the MS community

Multiple sclerosis is the most common non-traumatic neurological disease that disables young adults in Europe. Many patients eventually develop balance, gait and stamina problems, and a portion of them rely on mobility aids — from a cane to a power wheelchair. Taking part in a race like "Dunavska desetka" therefore means much more than it appears at first glance: community visibility, proof that sport is possible alongside chronic illness, and a call on cities to make their pavements, routes and events accessible to everyone.

The scientific evidence is clear — regular physical activity adapted to EDSS level reduces fatigue, improves mood, preserves muscle mass and slows disability progression in people with MS (Cochrane 2020, Motl 2017, Kjølhede 2018). For more on EDSS-adapted exercise see our [exercise guide for MS](/vezbe), and for new DMT therapies see our [overview of MS medications available in Serbia](/lekovi).

Thanks to the organisers and participants

Big thanks to the City of Smederevo, RunTrace, the volunteers in yellow vests, the medical teams along the route and every runner and walker who shared kilometres shoulder-to-shoulder with MS Platform members and people with disabilities. Events like this prove that inclusion in sport — when there is willingness from organisers and support from the local community — is entirely possible, and that this is a model worth replicating in every city in Serbia.

See you at the start of the fourth "Dunavska desetka" in 2027 — with even more orange T-shirts and even more accessible routes.

Sources

Večernje novosti, ""Dunavska desetka" and "Urban Half Marathon" held in Smederevo: several hundred runners took part" (10 May 2026, photos: N. Živanović): https://www.novosti.rs/srbija/vesti/1605768/dunavska-desetka-urbani-polumaarton-odrzani-smederevu-ucestvovalo-vise-stotina-trkaca. SD Portal, ""Dunavska desetka" in Smederevo: Lazar Ilić and Jovan Stolić run for little Andrija" (7 May 2026): http://www.sdportal.rs/?p=10971. eBraničevo, "Smederevo hosts "Dunavska desetka" and the Urban Half Marathon" (7 May 2026): https://ebranicevo.com/sport/smederevo-domacin-dunavske-desetke-i-urbanog-polumaratona/. OSI-press / "Voice for Equality", interview with organisers (30 April 2026): https://www.osi-press.com/2026/04/30/dunavska-desetka-urbani-polumaraton-sportski-dogadjaj-u-smederevu/. RunTrace, official "Urban Half Marathon 2026" page: https://www.trcanje.rs/event/urbani-polumaraton/. MS Platform Serbia: https://msplatforma.rs.