Jul 3, 2024, 11:54 AM

About 17,000 runners take off at White Nights marathon

About 17,000 runners take off at  White Nights marathon

TEHRAN, Jul. 03 (MNA) – The 33rd White Nights Marathon took place in St. Petersburg. About 17,000 professional athletes and amateur runners covered the 10 kilometre or 42.2 km distance.

This year the event joined the BRICS Marathon League. At the first stage, it unites the country's largest and most significant marathons (in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kazan) into a single series, and in the future it will also include races of the BRICS countries. TV BRICS is the international media partner of BRICS Marathon League.

For the first time in a long time, representatives of far-abroad countries – Kenya, Ethiopia, Central Asia and other parts of the world – took to the start line of the White Nights. This year, the runners had an updated programme – for the first time it included an open student relay race. Taking into account the fact that participants could form their own teams and run the marathon distance together with their friends, 77 amateur teams and 27 student teams came to the start.

The 10km race was started at 21:00 local time by Boris Piotrovsky, Vice-Governor of St. Petersburg, and the marathon race was opened at 22:00 by Dmitry Kapitonov, a Russian track and field athlete and three-time winner of the White Nights 10km marathon, together with Diana Vishneva, a Russian ballet dancer and prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theatre.

The route of both races traditionally passed through the historical part of the city, passing by iconic architectural monuments such as the Kazan Cathedral, the Admiralty, the Rostral Columns and others. However, the start and finish areas this year were located in other places: the start was located in the heart of St. Petersburg – on Palace Square, and the finish – at the monument "Bronze Horseman" on Senate Square.

In addition to the runners, this year the event was once again joined by thousands of fans, residents of St. Petersburg and guests of the city. A total of 14 support zones were located on the marathon distance, and 10 on the 10 km distance. For those who could not join the event in person, a live broadcast of the competition was traditionally organised.

6 men and 6 women became winners in the 42.2 kilometre absolute standings, and for the first time the winners in the national marathon standings – 3 men and 3 women – were awarded.

At the 10 km distance, the prizes went to 3 men and 3 women, who covered the distance the fastest, and both relay races were won by the three teams with the best results.

Source: TV BRICS

News ID 217193

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