On September 28, the Russian Cross-Country Running Championship and Cup began in the capital of Mordovia, on the territory of the ski and biathlon complex.

The autumn event for long-distance enthusiasts gathered 17 athletes from 8 regions: the Republics of Bashkortostan, Mordovia, and Crimea; St. Petersburg; Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra; and the Tula, Vladimir, and Sverdlovsk Regions.

The opening ceremony welcomed participants with speeches from Anton Trifonov, Head of the Sports Reserve Department of the Ministry of Sports of the Republic of Mordovia; Boris Dvornikov, Senior Coach of the Russian National Athletics Team; Andrey Bogatyrev, Chairman of the Regional Branch of the OSFSG; and Vyacheslav Mochalov, Chief Judge of the competitions, who wished everyone success in a fair fight.

Participants competed on distances of 2, 4, 6, and 8 kilometers through a forested area with long ascents and steep descents. This time, the athletes faced sharp competition from visiting skiers as well. Overall, the leaders confirmed their high level of preparation, and for some, Saransk once again proved to be a lucky place.

Results:

Girls - 2 km

1. Kristina Moshegova (Sverdlovsk Region)

2. Arina Kotereva (St. Petersburg)

3. Alina Sytnik (Republic of Crimea)

Boys - 4 km

1. Rinat Arduvanov (KhMAO-Yugra)

2. Denis Makarov (Vladimir Region)

3. Robert Selkin (Tula Region)

Women - 6 km

1. Daria Gaynetdinova (Sverdlovsk Region)

2. Yulia Zalutskaya (KhMAO-Yugra)

3. Olesya Levkovskaya (Vladimir Region)

Men - 8 km

1. Kirill Yakovlev (Republic of Khakassia)

2. Igor Zalutsky (KhMAO-Yugra)

3. Ilgiz Famutdinov (Republic of Bashkortostan)

Boris Dvornikov, Senior Coach of the Russian National Athletics Team:

"For three years now, the hospitable capital of Mordovia has been hosting All-Russian competitions. The conditions, organization, course preparation, and judging here are always at a high level. Our leading female athletes showed good preparation: Daria Gaynetdinova (Sverdlovsk Region) and Yulia Zalutskaya (KhMAO). Among men: Kirill Yakovlev (Khakassia), Igor Zalutsky (KhMAO), Ilgiz Famutdinov (Republic of Bashkortostan).

In the junior cup, the following distinguished themselves: Kristina Moshegova (Sverdlovsk Region), Arina Kotereva (St. Petersburg), Alina Sytnik (Republic of Crimea); among junior boys: Rinat Arduvanov (KhMAO), Denis Makarov (Vladimir Region), Robert Selkin (Tula Region). This year, 17 people from 8 regions participated in the past competitions. The trend of decreasing numbers of participants and regions is concerning. Last year, these competitions saw 21 participants from 10 regions. The prestige of these competitions is undeservedly falling. Athletes from related disciplines like cross-country skiing and orienteering have stopped coming. Many regional managers do not allocate funds to send their athletes to the once-popular cross-country running competitions. We need to figure out something to restore the prestige of this discipline."

Text: Nurlan Tazhigulov, Olga Troynikova

Photo: Nurlan Tazhigulov

Translation: Daria Kudelina