Siberian Ice Half Marathon

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
Dateearly January
LocationOmsk, Russia
Event typeRoad running
Distance21.098 km
Established1991
Official siteSiberian Ice Half Marathon
Participants277 finishers (2022)
415 (2020)

Competition format edit

Siberian 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 edit

First 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 edit

NOTE: not held in 2021.

Year Half marathon — men Half marathon — women Ekiden — men Ekiden — women
2024   Petr Shvetsov — 1:14:20   Tatiana Kuramshina — 1:24:18
2023   Valeriy Lukin — 1:16:59   Yelena Sedova — 1:31:04
2022   Aleksey Patrakov — 1:16:32   Marina Kovaleva — 1:20:05
2020   Mikhail Kulkov — 1:13:43   Mariya Druzhina — 1:29:45
2019   Mikhail Kulkov — 1:13:34   Leysan Yakhina — 1:23:20
2018   Aleksandr Butrameyev — 1:11:42   Marina Kovaleva — 1:17:38
2017   Sergey Petrov — 1:08:16   Natalya Tarasova — 1:22:06
2016   Vasiliy Minayev — 1:09:12   Marina Kovaleva — 1:22:35
2015   Aleksandr Butrameyev — 1:10:12   Marina Kovaleva — 1:21:02
2014   Vasiliy Minayev — 1:11:34   Nina Podnebesnova — 1:19:47
2013   Artem Ekimov — 1:08:29   Eugenia Danilova — 1:22:07   JSC Babylon Ltd. — 1:11:39   SibGUFK — 1:33:49
2012   Vadim Ulizhov — 1:09.13   Nina Podnebesnova — 1:21.26
2011   Vadim Ulizhov — 1:08:10   Nina Podnebesnova — 1:22:14
2010   Alexandr Bolhovitin — 1:09:27   Eugenia Danilova — 1:25:52
2009   Vadim Ulizhov — 1:08:25   Eugenia Danilova — 1:25:57
2008   Vadim Ulizhov — 1:08:27   Eugenia Danilova — 1:17:36
2007   Alexandr Elunin — 1:08:19   Nina Podnebesnova — 1:17:45
2006   Denis Rychkov — 1:08:26   Eugenia Danilova — 1:26:01
2005   Alexandr Elunin — 1:11:04   Nina Podnebesnova — 1:24:22
2004   Igor Tyupin — 1:11:15   Nina Podnebesnova — 1:23:56
2003   Pavel Broda — 1:10:41   Irina Sukhorukova — 1:43:36
2002   Evgeniy Lykov — 1:11:32   Anastasiia Vershinina — 1:34:33

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c About on the official Web site of the Marathon partnership
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ Prize fund (in Russian) on the official Web site of the Marathon partnership
  4. ^ a b Historical weather statistics of the Siberian Ice Half Marathon (in Russian) on the official Web site of the Marathon partnership
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ Winners and medalists: 2003 (in Russian) on the official Web site of the Marathon partnership
  7. ^ Number of participants in XXI Siberian Ice Half Marathon (in Russian) on the official Web site of the Marathon partnership
  8. ^ "Omsk Christmas Half-Marathon Receives International Status" (in Russian). Stadium.ru. December 14, 2011. Retrieved 2014-01-05.

External sources edit