Goran Raičević (

Serbian Cyrillic The Serbian Cyrillic alphabet (, ), also known as the Serbian script, (, ), is a standardized variation of the Cyrillic script used to write the Serbian language. It originated in medieval Serbia and was significantly reformed in the 19th cen ...

: Горан Раичевић, June 26, 1963 – May 6, 1999) was a

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

long-distance runner Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely Aerobic exercise, aerobic in nature and requires stamina as well as mental strength. Within endurance ru ...

. He won three Balkan Cross Country Championships for Yugoslavia in 1990, 1992, and 1994. His son Nikola Raičević took up athletics and trains with AK Partizan.

Running career

Raičević won his first Balkan Cross Country Championships in 1990. In the same year he ran the senior men's race at the 1990 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, finishing in 119th place out of 236 finishers. Raičević would also represent

FR Yugoslavia The State Union of Serbia and Montenegro or simply Serbia and Montenegro, known until 2003 as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and commonly referred to as FR Yugoslavia (FRY) or simply Yugoslavia, was a country in Southeast Europe locate ...

at IAAF World Cross Country Championships in

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

and

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

, recording strong finishing places and results in both years. On April 20, 1996, he ran the Belgrade Half Marathon in 1:02:39, although the course was short according to the Association of Road Racing Statisticians. He ran his last marathon on October 4, 1998 at the

Podgorica Marathon The Podgorica Marathon is an annual road running event in Montenegro, which features a full-length (42.195 km) marathon, half marathon as well as a 5 km fun run race. History A group of enthusiasts came up with a plan to organise a ...

, where he ran a personal best of 2:15:28, only 12 seconds behind first place Petko Stefanov.
Association of Road Racing Statisticians: ''Podgoricki Marathon''. October 4, 1998.

Military service and death

Throughout the 1990s, in addition to

conscription Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it conti ...

to the Yugoslav Army being mandatory for all able male citizens, unrest and eventually war took place in

Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...

as well as in the surrounding areas from 1997. Raičević was killed in action on May 6, 1999, by KLA insurgents in

Medveđa Medveđa ( sr-Cyrl, Медвеђа, ; , ) is a town and municipality located in the Jablanica District of southern Serbia. As of the 2022 census, the municipality has a population of 6,360, while the town has a population of 2,993. Etymology The ...

. He is buried in his birthplace, Strojinci. A

statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or Casting (metalworking), cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to ...

and an annual memorial race are dedicated to Goran in

Brus Brus ( sr-cyr, Брус, ) is a town and municipality located in the Rasina District of southern Serbia. According to the 2022 census, the population of the town is 4,183, while the population of the municipality is 13,594. It is located at above ...

Notes

* Although Raičević was born in present-day

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

, his presence in international athletic competition dates before the

Constitutional Charter of Serbia and Montenegro The Constitutional Charter of Serbia and Montenegro (, ''Ustavna povelja Srbije i Crne Gore'') came into force on 4 February 2003, creating a confederacy between Serbia and Montenegro under one government, the State Union of Serbia and Monteneg ...

, so the country he represented in athletics is cited as (Federal Republic of) Yugoslavia as opposed to Serbia. Some of Raičević's personal best results are maintained by Serbia's Athletic Association as Serbian results.

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Raicevic, Goran 1963 births 1999 deaths Sportspeople from Kruševac Serbian male long-distance runners Yugoslav male long-distance runners Serbian military personnel of the Kosovo War Military personnel killed in the Kosovo War Serbian military personnel killed in action Serbia and Montenegro male athletes Yugoslavian Athletics Championships winners