Diana Adasko and Sergey Chunarov are part of the Yakutia newspaper's staff
Tomorrow's Exciting Relay Rumble! 🏃🏽♂️🏃🏽♀️
Gear up, folks! The Yakutsk relay race, organized by the "Yakutia" newspaper, is hitting the track tomorrow, May 8th, at the Press House. Here's a sneak peek at what's in store:approximately 40 teams will be participating - 24 from schools, gyms, and academies, and 14 from universities, colleges, and local production collectives.
The race kicks off at 11 a.m. from Friendship of Peoples Square, zipping down Leninsky Prospekt and back, covering a total of 10 stages spanning 4080 meters. The first stage ends at Leninsky Prospekt, with winners scooping up some cold hard cash. The remainder of the stages have finishing points at strategic intersections throughout the city. Stage lengths range from 850 to 200 meters, making this a sprint-heavy event. Each team will consist of 6 men and 4 women.
At 11:40 a.m., the second race unfolds for universities, colleges, and local collectives. Teams from SVFU, AGATU, YSHT, the "Begomir" running club, "Yakutsk Airport", "Dinamo", and others will battle it out for the win. We've chatted with a few team captains:
Oleg Osipov, representing Yakutsk Agricultural Technicum:
- Our team has won the "Yakutia" relay for the past 8 years - starting in 2013 up until 2019, prior to the COVID pandemic. Our secret weapon, star athlete Valentina Ivanova, took home national titles in high jump and sprint events, and even won the Sports Games of the Peoples of Yakutia in Verkhnevilyuisk. I've been head coach of our relay team since 1999. This year is a bit tricky, as our seniors recently graduated and have moved on to new jobs, leaving us with a younger, less experienced crew.
Yuri Everstov, physical education lead at Namsky Pedagogical College, multi-event champion and Dygyn Games veteran:
Our team is mostly composed of skiers. They've been through rigorous winter and spring training and competitions, so they're in top shape. You might recognize a few members – like candidates for master of sports in cross-country skiing of Russia, Aital Tereshkin, and a champion of the "Children of Asia" Games in Kemerovo, second-year student Nikolai Kopyrin. We also have one of the fastest student runners in the republic, Angelica Tobolshina. Personally, I was the silver medalist of the Yakut ASSR cross-country skiing championship in Aldan back in 1979, and I've been teaching physical education since 1989.
- Who are your main opponents?
- In terms of colleges, the competition's fierce between YAPK, YSHT, and the pedagogical college. However, they noted that there'll be a combined scoring system for universities and colleges, making it tougher to beat the seasoned physical education teachers.
- What's the difficulty of the new 10-stage, 4-kilometer course (compared to the previous 14 stages of 7,800 meters)?
- The first stage used to be a massive 1,100 meters long. Distances of 800, 750, and 600 meters were usually dominated by well-trained runners. The current stages are mostly sprints, ranging from 200 to 390 meters. This means that even fledgling runners can give it a go, so the odds are more equalized.
Svyatoslav Sofroneev, union head at Yakutsk's education sector:
- Take a gander at our roster. We've got Diana Adasko, who snagged the first stage and overall "Yakutia" relay win last year. Our coaches include Alexander Nechaev, Valentina Ivanova, Sergei Chunarev, Anatoly Pavlov, and other physical education teachers. Adasko and Chunarev have impressed in Russian championships, taking home gold and silver medals.
Alexander Ilyarovich Ivanov, from AGAU, was the first to submit paperwork, medical certificates, and insurance for his students to the registration commission. He served as the chief referee of the "Yakutia" relay from 1990 to 2013 and even won the race himself.
It'll be exciting to see if schools No.21 and the Yakutsk Agricultural College can maintain their winning streaks of 6 and 8 consecutive victories, respectively, before the pandemic. Come cheer them on tomorrow on Yakutsk's main thoroughfare, or catch the action in our Telegram channel. You'll witness the drama, watch the future stars of light athletics, get the scoop on surprises, and share in the triumph of victory or the sting of defeat. All in glorious May sunshine! ☀️🌟🏃🏽♀️🏃🏽♂️
Due to limited availability of data, we've been unable to identify the main competitors in the Yakutia newspaper track and field relay for universities and colleges in Yakutsk, Russia. For the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding participants and competitors, we encourage checking local Yakutia newspapers or event websites.
If you're looking for more information on track and field competitions in general, you may want to explore universities with renowned track and field programs, like those in the US, Canada, and countries where track and field is particularly popular. However, this doesn't directly apply to the specific event in question.
- The Yakutsk Agricultural Technicum, a past winner of the "Yakutia" relay, is returning this year, with their star athlete Valentina Ivanova looking to make a difference.
- Tomorrow's Yakutia newspaper track and field relay in Yakutsk will cover a total of 4080 meters across 10 stages, highlighted by a sprint-heavy event with stage lengths ranging from 200 to 390 meters.
- Competition for the second race among universities, colleges, and local collectives will be fierce, with teams from SVFU, AGATU, YSHT, "Begomir" running club, "Yakutsk Airport", "Dinamo", and others aiming for victory.
