The results of the XVII Rostec Demino Ski Marathon, which took place at the Demino Ski and Biathlon Center from March 1-3, have been summed up. About five thousand professional athletes and amateur skiers aged from 4 to 76 took part in the start program. More than 4500 people became guests of the bright event.
At the start of the main 50-kilometer race 2572 athletes came out, 2513 crossed the finish line. The silver 25-kilometer distance was successfully covered by 510 people. All 536 skiers who entered the 10-kilometer also did well in the race. On five kilometers 297 people finished, on two kilometers - 239 young athletes. The youngest participant of the sports program was barely 4 years old, the most experienced were 76-year-old marathon runners from the Sverdlovsk and Moscow regions. In total, representatives of 9 countries and 60 regions of Russia came to Demino.
- Our big sports weekend has come to an end. It turned out to be a wonderful holiday, which was attended by almost 10 thousand participants and spectators. This year 2513 people finished the main 50-kilometer race against 2591 in the past. We have again confirmed the status of the most mass marathon in Russia, although we do not aspire to records in numbers. There are objective limits of the infrastructure, and we are close to them. We will emphasize service, quality and new races. Now we are traditionally collecting feedback from participants, which we will take into account when preparing for the XVIII Rostec Demi Marathon, which will be held from February 28 to March 2, 2025.
This marathon brought together the strongest lineup of participants. Olympic champions and medalists, including Alexander Bolshunov, Denis Spitsov, Alexey Chervotkin, Alexander Terentyev, Nikolay Morilov, Natalia Korosteleva, the professional marathon team "Russian Winter", winners of previous years competed on the same track. Alexander Bolshunov and Svetlana Zaborskaya became the leaders of the golden race of the XVII Rostec Demino Ski Marathon. Yermil Vokuyev and Olga Tsareva took first place in the half marathon.
- The track is perfectly prepared. Even on the second lap it was in good condition. When you overtake the guys who are still on the first lap, they cheer you up and say: "Come on! Come on! You can still be a little bit faster!" The fans, of course, help. It is a joy when there are so many of them. I would like to have approximately the same number of fans at each stage of the Russian Cup, who would stand on the track and cheer us up everywhere," said Alexander Bolshunov, winner of the Rostec Demino Marathon, after the finish.
His mentor, coach of the main Russian national team Yuri Borodavko also gave his assessment of the competition:
- A huge number of spectators, traditional circle, friendly atmosphere, good organization - this is what distinguishes Rostec Demino Marathon from other similar starts. The number of participants grows from year to year, and this is also an indicator.
More attention was paid to the cultural program this year. At the opening ceremony, the fans and participants were welcomed by 300 volunteers wearing costumes in the colors of the Russian Federation.
