Historic EL5-Energo Trail 2024
For the second year in a row, on the territory of the Kola Wind Farm located beyond the Arctic Circle we have held a mass race involving participants from all over the country. This time, about 700 athletes and more than 100 spectators from 33 regions of Russia attended this large-scale event. The unique event was hosted by Alexander Panzhinsky, a silver medalist of the Winter Olympic Games in cross-country skiing. Elena Vyalbe, President of the Russian Ski Racing Federation, multiple Olympic champion and world champion in cross-country skiing and Artem Rebrov, Master of Sports of Russia - Spartak football player were the honorable guests at the event.
On June 22, the day of the race, the Arctic climate sprang a surprise on the participants and organizers of the race: it started to rain heavily, the air temperature dropped to 4 degrees Celsius and wind gusts reached 20 m/s. But sport in harsh conditions strengthens a personality even more. Despite the challenges of the northern weather, athletes competed at the distances of 3, 8, 20 and 50 km, relay teams competed for victory in 7 stages with a total length of 50 km, and young trail runners ran a kids’ 600-meter race.
Having overcome obstacles, we all deserved victory because on that day EL5-Energo Trail became officially a historic one: an expert representing the Russian Book of Records acknowledged PJSC LUKOIL to be the record holder for having arranged “The most large-scale multi-distance race during one day beyond the Arctic Circle in one location.”
At the finish all athletes were awarded medals for participation, the winners of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes in the races were awarded on stage, and the best three relay teams including EL5-Energo were granted the race cups. Moreover, as part of the Year of the Family, the Family Race nomination was established the winners of which were the families that accumulated the greatest total mileage across all distances.
In the starting camp for the participants and guests of the event there were food courts, master classes, a kids’ club, a mono-football pitch by Spartak sports club and a VR zone with an interactive excursion to the top of the wind turbine. This year anyone could go on an excursion around the Kola Wind Farm and learn about the process of generating “green” energy in the harsh Arctic climate. And those willing to share their impressions of the event could send memorable postcards straight beyond the Arctic Circle.
Following the tradition, all funds raised upon registration by the race participants were sent to charitable organizations in Murmansk region.
Watch the atmosphere of the competition in the Arctic, the vivid emotions of the participants and guests, as well as reviews on EL5-Energo Trail in our video.