About 2 thousand applications submitted to participate in Kazan athletics marathon

About two thousand applications have been submitted to participate in the Kazan athletics marathon, which will take place on May 11. It is announced by the organizers at a press conference in news agency Tatar-Inform.

At the framework of the event, Russian championship in marathon will be held, which will be the World Cup Qualifiers. For qualification, men and women should run a marathon with the results not worse than 2 hours 18 minutes and 2 hours 44 minutes respectively. Also, as part of the marathon, the national championship among juniors up to 23 years will be held.

As sport department’s chief of Tatarstan Ministry of Youth and Sports Raif Vafin told, the last marathon was held in Kazan in 2004. The participants will be able to overcome the marathon distance of 42 km 195 m, a half-marathon - 21.1 km. In addition, a five km race and  race of athletes in wheelchairs will take place.

It is expected that from three to five thousand people will take participation in the Kazan marathon. To date, about two thousand people from 94 cities, from four countries, including the country's inner 30 regions have been already registered. And 34 percent of the registered  is women.

Kazan marathon organizer Yangirov Vadim said that marathon participants should be at the age above 18 years, half-marathon - 16 years old, five kilometer race - from eight years. Each participant of the marathon and half-marathon should get a certificate from a therapist that he is able to run this distance.

Participant’s registration takes place on site www.kazanmarathon.org and will last until the evening on May 8. It is needed to fill out a form for registration on the site, after which the person is assigned a starting number. Thereafter, on 9 or 10 May, it will be necessary to pick up a starter pack of member on the Expo exhibition, which will be held in Kazan-Arena. It includes branded T-shirt of Kazan marathon, backpack, bib chip for an individual timing, as well as surprises from the organizers and partners of the event. In addition, regardless of the result and distance, each participant will receive a commemorative medal of Kazan marathon at the finish. Each participant will receive his photos and videos from the distance and finish upon competition’s completion in their personal account on the event’s website.

Vadim Yangirov drew attention to the fact that it would be possible to register on May 9 and 10 during Expo exhibition. However, there is a limit on the number of participants. On May 11, the day of the marathon, the registration will not be possible.

The entry fee to participate in the five kilometer race is 200 rubles, half marathon and marathon - 500 rubles. Pupils and students, as well as pensioners are free from the entry fee, stresses Vadim Yangirov.

Participants of the marathon will start from the stadium Kazan-Arena. Then, they will proceed on Sibgat Hakim Street through the Millennium Bridge, then Ershov, Karl Marx Srteets. Next, athletes will make a loop along the promenade to the National Cultural Center Kazan. Runners will return through the Lenin dam, makeing a circle around the center of family Kazan and finish at the Kazan-Arena. The length of the route is 21,1 km. Marathon runners, respectively, will run 2 laps.

"This route allows to capture sights of Kazan, to show all the beauty inside the city," said Vadim Yangirov. The route of Kazan marathon  has been certified by an official measurer of the International Association of Athletics Federations. Thus, when setting a record, a result will be officially recognized by a sports community. According to Vadim Yangirov, Russian record is 2 hours and 9 minutes. "We hope that the athletes will be able to run at least 2 hours 13 minutes. This will be the best result of the season in Russia", said the organizer.

Speaking of medical support of the marathon, Vadim Yangirov noted that an ambulance will follow the last runner. Medical teams will work in the start and finish points. "We also adopted the experience, when five cyclists volunteers will ride along the distance in an opposite direction. If they see that someone is ill, they immediately will give the information and ambulance will drive up to this place. It is international practice," said Vadim Yangirov.

On the eve of the marathon, Pasta party will be held, it is a traditional dinner for those, who selected the distance of 42.2 km. This dinner is traditional dinner for all professional runners before the race because you need to eat carbohydrate foods. Participants will find a coupon for pasta in the starter package.

Musical support points including the start and finish are provided. In addition, children's races, races on heels are also planned, It is possible to deliver the standards TRP.

Live broadcast of the marathon will take place on the media facades of Kazan-Arena, as well as on the event website.

"It will be a celebration of running. We want to hold this event every year, to make it a tradition," said Raif Vafin.