Cross of Nations in Kazan became a record number of participants

Kazan hosted the traditional Cross of the Nation, which became part of the All-Russian Running Day. According to Deputy Chairman of the Committee on physical culture and sports of the city Rishat Ibatullin, this year the record turnout was 17 440 participants, which is significantly higher than last year’s figure of 16 thousand people. He noted that the organizers did not expect such mass participation, but high attendance was made possible due to favorable weather conditions. The event brought together a large number of families, children and sports fans, and even after the finish, many people remained at the venues.

For convenience and safety, the start was divided into two locations depending on the level of training of runners. Amateurs, veterans and families competed in the youth extreme park “URAM”, and professional athletes tested their strength at the Lokomotiv stadium in Yudino. A special event was a mass race of 2000 meters on the territory of the Kremlin embankment. Pros competed at distances from 2 to 12 kilometers and were awarded medals, cups and diplomas.

In parallel with the main competitions, a charity race was held with the support of the Good Kazan Foundation. It was attended by 50 children with various diseases, who were helped to overcome the distance by athletes of local professional clubs: rugby “Arrow”, florball “Irbis” and basketball UNICS. The annual Cross of the Nation, held since 2004, remains one of the largest sports events in Russia in terms of both the number of participants and the coverage of territories.