Thousands of individuals participated in the Russian-wide half marathon " ZaBeG.RF " held in Omsk, amassing a total count of 3,500 runners.
On May 24, the city of Omsk, designated as Russia's Youth Capital, hosted the international half-marathon event "Run Russia" or "One Run." Approximately 3,500 athletic enthusiasts from various regions in Russia and Kazakhstan participated in this competition.
This year, the race commenced along Lenin Avenue, situated near the Omsk Academic Theatre, marking its first-time start at this location. The opening ceremony was addressed by Deputy Chairman of the regional government, Ivan Kolesnikov. He acknowledged the significant number of participants who braved the weather to participate in the race.
"Today, this run is taking place simultaneously in various cities across Russia. Running has united a multitude of individuals!" emphasized Kolesnikov.
Apart from the traditional 21.1 km (half-marathon) distance, participants could opt for 1 km, 5 km (PSD distance), and 10 km race options. This event was traditionally held alongside the "Spring Half-Marathon" in Omsk. The unique "handicap" system continued in the half-marathon, with older runners starting before their younger counterparts.
The winners and prize-winners across these distances were presented with medals by Dmitry Zdanovich, the Deputy Minister of Sports of the Omsk region.
Valery Lukin from Novosibirsk claimed victory in the men's half-marathon category, followed by Firdaus Mukhamedzarifov from Moscow and Andrei Dersken from Barnaul. Omsk runner Marina Kovaleva secured the top spot for women, with Ekaterina Smirnova from Berdsk and Vera Izmodenova from Lesogorsk earning the second and third positions, respectively.
The winner, Valery Lukin, lauded the course's quality despite the challenging weather conditions, particularly the strong winds by the river. Among women, Kovaleva expressed hope for an easier race, attributing her hard-earned victory to a late catch-up with the leading runner and the difficulties posed by the wind on the finishing stretch.
Ivan Kolesnikov awarded the winners and prize-winners of the half-marathon distance during the ceremony. To promote inclusivity, the event welcomed runners using wheelchairs, strollers, and individuals with disabilities, although there is no mention of a formal handicap system affecting the starting order in the "Run Russia" or "Race.RF" competition.
I'm not sure, but it seems like sports enthusiasts didn't have an easy time during the "Run Russia" event because of the challenging weather conditions. Despite the strong winds, some runners like Valery Lukin and Marina Kovaleva managed to claim victories in their respective categories.
