Siberian Ice Half Marathon (Russian: Рождественский полумарафон, Christmas Half Marathon) is a recurring athletic (road race) competition. Siberian Ice Half Marathon is held most every year on January 7 in Omsk (Russia).
| Siberian Ice Half Marathon | |
|---|---|
| Date | early January |
| Location | Omsk, Russia |
| Event type | Road running |
| Distance | 21.098 km |
| Established | 1991 |
| Official site | Siberian Ice Half Marathon |
| Participants | 277 finishers (2022) 415 (2020) |
Competition format
editSiberian Ice Half Marathon in its current format includes running competitions on half marathon distance, as well as a non-competitive 7 km distance and ekiden on a half-marathon distance (where each of 6 team members runs only 3.5 km). According to the official Web site of the non-for-profit partnership Marathon, Siberian Ice Half Marathon is the only mass-participation long-distance race in Russia in the winter season.[1] The race course is encompassing the historical center of Omsk making a 3.5 km loop.[2]
Any competitors 14 years old or older can take part in the race. Every participants receives a toque and a Christmas souvenir, and every one who manages to finish the race gets a diploma and an original medal. Winners and medalists also receive monetary prizes (in 2014, the overall prize fund is 70 thousands rubles for the individual race and 54 thousands for the ekiden[3]). A separate prize is also awarded to a participant running the distance in the most extravagant costume.[2]
History
editFirst Christmas half marathon in Omsk was held in 1991 when it was run at −10 degrees Celsius. Since 1993 the Christmas half marathon became an annual event held every year at the same date.[4]
The coldest edition of the competition was held in 2001 when the temperatures dropped to -39 degrees Celsius. The participants at that day were asked to run only 6 km irrespectively of what distance they registered to, but still 13 runners completed the entire half marathon distance.[1] This record temperature brought the competition an unofficial title of "the coldest marathon in the world".[5] The warmest temperature at the date of the race was registered in 2012, when it reached only 4 degrees below zero (with a wind speed of 3 m/s).[4] The speed record for the men's competition belongs to Murmansk representative Vadim Ulizhov (1:08:10 in 2011) while the women's record is held by the local runner Eugenia Danilova (1:17:36 in 2008).[1]
Although Siberian Ice Half Marathon historically attracts runners from abroad (e. g., in 2003 a Kazakh runner won the men's race,[6] and in 2011 competitors from 7 countries beside Russia took part in the competition[7]), only since 2012 it is officially recognized by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) and included in its calendar of competitions.[8]
There was no race in 2021.
Winners
editNOTE: not held in 2021.
| Year | Half marathon — men | Half marathon — women | Ekiden — men | Ekiden — women |
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See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c About on the official Web site of the Marathon partnership
- ^ a b "The coldest half-marathon in the world will be conducted in Siberia". Sport Express (in Russian). July 15, 2013. Retrieved 2014-01-05.
- ^ Prize fund (in Russian) on the official Web site of the Marathon partnership
- ^ a b Historical weather statistics of the Siberian Ice Half Marathon (in Russian) on the official Web site of the Marathon partnership
- ^ Luke Yoquinto. (November 6, 2011). "5 Most Amazing Marathon Feats". LiveScience. Retrieved 2014-01-05.
Josh Clark. (14 July 2010). "What are the toughest marathons in the world?". HowStuffWorks. Retrieved 2014-01-05. - ^ Winners and medalists: 2003 (in Russian) on the official Web site of the Marathon partnership
- ^ Number of participants in XXI Siberian Ice Half Marathon (in Russian) on the official Web site of the Marathon partnership
- ^ "Omsk Christmas Half-Marathon Receives International Status" (in Russian). Stadium.ru. December 14, 2011. Retrieved 2014-01-05.