Firefighters will once again be at the starting line of the fifth edition of the NLB Podgorica Millennium Run this year. Shoulder to shoulder in neat uniforms, with smiles that hide the routine of duty and concentration learned during rotations, teams from different parts of Montenegro will be ready to run on November 9th. On the streets of the capital, sportsmanship and public service will once again meet, and on the course, at least for a moment, you will see what usually remains behind the scenes - readiness, trust and a calm head under pressure.
Luka Krgović and Boris Katnić, members of the Capital City Protection and Rescue Service, will be in that column. The young firefighters are ready to cover the route in a rhythm of trust - calmly, reliably and as a team, and to show through the promotion of healthy lifestyles that they protect the city even when the sirens fall silent.
And perhaps their dedication and motivation for participation are best summed up by the sentence: "If we race through smoke and fire every day, it's time to show that we can do it on asphalt."
Firefighting as a lifestyle
From that thought, the next chapter of the story naturally opens. For Boris Katnić, the line between work and private life has long been blurred because, he says, you're in this job all the way or you're not in it at all.
“There are many professions that are useful, but few where you feel in the same second that you have truly changed someone's day or life. Sometimes I am motivated by a heroic image, and sometimes by a completely rational thought – if I don't do it, who will? That sincere combination of emotion and duty has kept me going for almost a decade.”", says Katnić.
Luka Krgović is on the same page, having been part of the team of brave firefighters since 2019. He is brought into the service by the desire to care for the safety of people and property. Therefore, he does not have much in his sentences, but he has enough in his gestures. In his readiness, when necessary, to make the purpose of his call the first step towards intervention and the reason to return from it with a calm head.
The starting line of the NLB Millennium Run as a natural continuation of the profession
For our interviewees, the racetrack is a natural extension of their profession. Often, the start resembles the start of a shift, in which the rhythm simply shifts from the siren to the ticking of a stopwatch.
"The first Millennium Run race veryI am here. u WORK uniform, ali od tada sam alreadyInom u stakessafety car-a ' front/Iza columns. Almost every year I am part of the event, either on foot or behind the wheel, because I believe that a firefighter must be at the head of the column - literally or symbolically. There is not much philosophy here: if someone shouts 'whoever can, let him stand at the starting line', "I'm here," says Boris Katnić, who is not changing his plans this year either.
"I probably won't be in the racing lineup again, but in the role of 'safety car', which actually suits me perfectly, because my job outside of the race is to pave the way for others," he adds.
Luka naturally responds to these words. He admits that, in addition to all of the above, he is also drawn to the list of participants by the excellent energy that makes the Podgorica Millennium Run so recognizable.
"I also want to check my physical fitness. I have participated twice so far and both times I enjoyed competing with my colleagues. Also, in this way we prove to the citizens that they have quite prepared guys from whom they can always expect successful implementation of interventions. Which is to say - they are in safe hands", Krgović is clear.
And our interlocutors place the meaning of the NLB Podgorica Millennium Run broadly - across the entire country.
"Events like this are much more than recreation. It is a public message that firefighters are not just people you see when there is a fire, but people who are there when it is needed to spread unity and trust. The Firefighters' Race is conceived as an event for the whole of Montenegro, without distinction between municipalities and services. When teams from Podgorica and other cities stand in the same row... in uniforms, but on a sports mission, it creates an image that is worth more than a thousand press releases. It means a lot to us personally because it reminds us that we are not just colleagues from the shift, but a team that is ready to be together both when there is a fire and when there is a race. And for the citizens, I believe, it means that they see that we are part of this community even when there are no sirens," says Boris Katnić.
“Readiness is our obligation, not a hobby”
When asked if they are ready for the upcoming sporting challenge, they answer without hesitation. Luka is the first to draw the line, reducing the story to practice: "Our in-service training is focused on resolving issues as quickly as possible using various techniques and equipment. We also have physical training, but in this job, nothing is done 'in a hurry', because with haste comes mistakes that can be fatal - both to someone else's life and to your own."
Boris complements his thought, saying that a firefighter cannot wait for an intervention and only then ask himself if he is ready.
"Preparation is our obligation, not a hobby. Physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle are not a trend here, but a professional responsibility. If some of our citizens see that example and think, 'if he can do it with the equipment, I can do it at least a little,' then it was worth it. Of course, there are days when I would rather lie down than run, but in this job, discipline must be stronger than the momentary will.", Katnić is honest.
Race is a sprint under the spotlight, and intervention is a marathon in silence
But when the rhythm of trust from the starting line and everyday service intertwine, the story takes on a different pace. And that's exactly why, firefighters say, their readiness for the race and for the intervention can be so remarkable, because in both cases, value is measured by what remains out of the spotlight.
"Na paths svi empty samo the last ones several meters kad you are passing through the goal, ali niko ne knows what kind je well. "Fatigue, discipline, moments when your body tells you 'stop' and you keep going. It's the same with a fire. People see when the fire is put out and when they thank the firefighters, but rarely do they see the hours spent in the field, the dehydration, the exhaustion, the smoky lungs, the struggle with the terrain and the weather (adverse) conditions," Katnić says.
Therefore, he says, the race is a sprint under the spotlight, and the intervention is a marathon in silence.
"In a race, you know where the finish line is. In an intervention, sometimes you don't see it, but you don't have the right to stop. When your body asks for a break in the middle of an intervention, and you know that someone's house or family is standing behind you, that's when you realize that true endurance is mental, not physical. Respect is nice when it comes at the end, but it's actually earned in the moments that no one sees and no one records," he states.
"We should react, you should support..."
To end the conversation, our interlocutors do not miss the opportunity to send messages to their colleagues, but to all citizens, in the spirit of sports and solidarity.
"I would like to tell my colleagues to prepare and the community to come and participate in as many numbers as possible. Let's show everyone that Podgorica is a city of sports," says Krgović.
Katnić agrees with him.
"Whoever can, let them be there. Not everyone has to run, but it is important that we show up as a team. The uniform is not a decoration but an obligation, and people need to see that we are part of them even when there is no state of emergency. I would like to say to the citizens – if you see us on the track, do not see us as a service but as neighbors who are there to protect you. Come, cheer, bring the children – because sometimes one round of applause is worth more than a thousand words. We will always be the first to react. This time, be the first to support us”, Katnić concludes at the end of the conversation.
As a reminder, registrations for the NLB Podgorica Millennium Run are open until November 1st on the official website www.podgorica.run/registracijaAll details about the rules of participation, registration fees, schedule and prize pool are available at SITE.
(Millenium run)
