Running is a great opportunity to see cities or nature from an unusual perspective. Vladivostok and Altai, Suzdal and Sochi, Pskov and Ufa, Nizhny Novgorod and Yekaterinburg - all of Russia in our New Year's survey! Today we go to the steppes near Lake Elton.
May 27-28, 2017. Elton Ultra-Trail
Distances: 160 km, 38 km 
Vyacheslav Glukhov, organizer of the Elton Ultra-Trail ultramarathon
Why you should run: see the Elton salt lake, test yourself with distance and steppe heat, and recharge.
How do you assess the outgoing season? What did you manage to do and what didn’t work?
New emotions for our project were brought by a new coverage of participants, Elton’s partners, and fans of extreme running. The year was quite interesting. At the fourth marathon, a wonderful team was formed. The main thing in organizing such events is, of course, people. Moreover, when the event is not held within the city, but far from civilization. So the main success of the past season, first of all, was our trail team. Happy New Year to everyone, I wish you health, success, health and continued cooperation.
What's new at your race in 2017?
We have radically changed the distance of the next race. We made the first official 100-mile ultratrail in Russia – “Ultimate 100 miles”. ( 160 kilometers – noteBegaem.com). Let me remind you that the ultramarathon distance is laid in a semi-desert zone. The temperature record recorded on the track in Russia and Europe was + 50 degrees. We also changed the accompanying distance to 38 kilometers. It will be a difficult start. More difficult, but more interesting. There will be several innovations in the starting town, in terms of organization, food, and accommodation.
What changes will there be to the calendar?
The start, as in previous months, will take place at the end of May, on the 27th-28th. Now we will conduct it not in one day, but in two days. This is the main change. And so everything is still the same. We are not going to postpone the start to cooler April, since the intense heat is the highlight of the trail. We strive to select the very best, to make an elite private club, to exclude runners. We can say that the scorching heat indirectly helps us in this.
What difficulties do you face when organizing competitions?
The biggest difficulty is to find partners in our difficult times, to unite the team, to run a race high level. This task is complicated by the fact that the race takes place far from civilization, roads and tourist centers. This is the main difficulty and beauty of our ultramarathon.
New Year's wishes for runners.
I wish everyone willpower, intelligence, fewer injuries - sports and mental, successful starts in the new year!
It is no coincidence that the imperial eagle is the symbol of the most extreme ultra-trail in Russia. There is no place for a weak spirit and body on Elton.
IN Volgograd region The All-Russian Desert Steppe Marathon took place. The participants, among whom were many beginners, had to walk tens of kilometers under the scorching sun around the salt lake Elton - it is located below sea level and is considered one of the hottest points in the country.
They are bored running on asphalt. Ahead - sand in the eyes and the scorching sun of the steppe. The participants are more than three hundred people from forty cities in Russia, as well as Belarus, Kazakhstan, Israel, France, Japan and Taiwan.
“Run this distance. For some it's their first time. For example, I’m running 56 kilometers for the first time. I want to try my hand and have fun,” says Igor Orlov from Moscow.
The salt of the marathon is Lake Elton. The water in it is saltier than in the Dead Sea, and the crystals on the shores look like snow from afar. This is what the participants of the longest 104-kilometer distance will have to run around.
Those to whom even a couple of kilometers on a treadmill already seem like an achievement are unlikely to understand these people. Here it is important not only to look at your feet. The steppe only seems flat. For several hours, marathon runners will have to overcome heat, wind, dust, and most importantly, themselves.
Fans of the so-called trail run have already built tracks in the sand, forests and mountains. But there had been no races across the semi-deserts of Russia before. An adventure in the steppe was invented by non-professional athlete Vyacheslav Glukhov, combining his love for running and his native places.
“There are already many parquet marathons in Russia, many in the mountains, in Elbrus, a wonderful marathon in the Urals, in Suzdal. Why not do it here?” - he says.
The desert steppe marathon has three distances - 28, 56 and 104 kilometers. How long to run, everyone determines for themselves. At the very beginning, everyone is together on the track. Even the horse succumbed to the general enthusiasm and galloped part of the distance with the marathon runners. An hour later, the line of joggers had already stretched for several kilometers. The sun is getting hotter and hotter.
The winner completed the 28-kilometer distance in just 1 hour 55 minutes. Ninth-grader Lena Nemokaeva finished a little later.
“It’s very difficult. Much harder than those times. This is the third time I’m running, my dad and I are coming. He runs “master”, and I run “light,” says the girl.
The two runners still failed to escape sunstroke. They received medical assistance. Volunteers tried to cheer up those who continued the marathon and feed them fruit.
Four hours later, St. Petersburg metro mechanic Maxim Voronkov and Novosibirsk businessman Kirill Rusin were the first to finish the 56-kilometer race. They are experienced runners. We took into account the desert climate and this time we chose not the longest distance for ourselves.
“It was hard to keep up the pace. I wanted to take a step forward, but I didn’t give up,” says Maxim Voronkov.
The marathon runners, who had just mustered their will and forced themselves to run, gave Muscovite Anton Samokhvalov a real standing ovation at the finish line. He ran 104 kilometers in nine hours, beating his comrades along the distance by an hour.
“In principle, if next year there is a distance of 160 kilometers, then we can try to run 160!” - says the athlete.
No records were set at this marathon. But for that it was record number positive emotions. Although amateur athletes did not run for awards, each received their own medal with a steppe eagle as a souvenir.
A unique trail running race, the first official 100-mile race in Russia, the Elton desert steppe marathon is gathering participants for the fifth time. The event will traditionally take place in the Volgograd region in one of the hottest spots in the country on the semi-desert shores of salt lake Elton on May 27-28. Experienced marathon runners and runners are invited to participate. professional athletes and those who want to test their strength, all those who want to get away from the bustle of the city and get closer to wild nature.
Race program
The Elton desert steppe marathon is tens and even hundreds of kilometers under the scorching sun, semi-desert and a complete absence of civilization. The Elton Volgabus Ultra-Trail 2017 program consists of two races, a short and long distance to choose from:
- Master 38 km. The 38 km distance is an excellent alternative for beginners and the best route for those who decide to test themselves in the semi-desert zone. Participants must be at least 18 years old. The distance limit is 7 hours;
- Ultimate 100 miles. 100 km is an excellent route for ultramarathon runners, all those who are strong in body and spirit. Participants must be at least 21 years old. The distance limit is 24 hours.
The marathon program also includes official opening, closing and awarding ceremonies, watching films in the open air, soft drinks, Kazakh cuisine and all the delights of life in a tent camp.
Venue
The semi-desert steppes of Elton are a unique park. There is no such nature anywhere else in Russia. The salt lake is located far below sea level in the Caspian lowland; its water area and coastal zone are considered one of the hottest spots in the country. At the bottom of Elton there are salty springs, deposits of salts and mineral mud, the healing properties of which are known throughout the world. Very often this lake is compared to the Dead Sea. Elton is an untouched nature that enchants: herds of horses, sheep, eagles, owls, foxes, lizards and snow-white salt crystals on the coast. On the route of the marathon runners there are descents and ascents of endless semi-desert, where on the horizon the sky merges with the earth.
Conditions of participation
Anyone from any country can take part in the race, subject to the above age restrictions. One of the few necessary conditions for participation is the presence medical certificate issued at least six months in advance and health insurance life and health from accidents, small entry fee. The acceptable arsenal of a marathon runner’s toolkit includes only the essentials – a backpack, water, sunglasses and cream, a cap or baseball cap, and a phone. For Ultimate 100 miles athletes, this list is somewhat broader.
Not only runners, but also support groups are invited to participate in the event. Each Ultimate 100 miles participant is entitled to an individual team, which may consist of a vehicle crew and volunteers at stationary camps. Mobile and stationary food stations are organized for marathon runners throughout the entire distance.
Winners and runners-up are identified among two categories: “men” and “women”. Who will become the conqueror of Elton and the winner over himself will become known very soon.
Vyacheslav Glukhov is the organizer and ideological inspirer of the desert steppe marathon, taking place around the unique Lake Elton. Together with friendly team like-minded people, he made this start one of the landmark events in Russian trail running, a competition with a special unique atmosphere. Fifth Elton Ultra-trail reaches a new level - participants will have a distance of 100 miles!
We asked Vyacheslav to tell us more about the new distance and Elton Ultra-trail 2017 in general.
You have been systematically moving towards your goal and in 2017 we will reach a distance of 100 miles on the ELTON VOLGABUS ULTRA-TRAIL! Tell us a little more about this distance.
On September 3, registration was opened for the fifth anniversary Elton Ultra-trail, this is its international registered certified name, Russian version- “Marathon of the desert steppes.” Changes in distances were announced. The main distance is one hundred miles. We removed the distances of 104 km and 56 km. The purpose of this is: firstly, to exclude “running adventurers”, since covering distances within the framework of these competitions may be associated with a risk to life, and secondly, the fact that the competitions take place on the territory of a natural park. For example, unauthorized presence of a car on the territory of the park is punishable by a fine of 2,000 rubles; movement within the territory of the reserve must be coordinated with its administration. I don’t want to turn these competitions into a mass pseudo-trail, of which many now take place near large cities and centers of mass tourism.
Yes, this start cannot be called entertaining!
Our main idea is to get away from the city noise, cars, jogging around the city, to get away from the reality that presses. For example, I am ready to live on Elton.
Here the last gas station is 150 km away, and it may not work, one cafe, one store, one ATM, unencumbered people minding their own business. That's the beauty of Elton. Elton's goal is to get away from urbanization and become closer to wild nature.
There are many trails, their number is growing, this year there have been more competitions in Altai, in the south - Abrau-Durso, and a lot of others, in the Leningrad region the trail is developing very massively: Finland and Norway provide a good example.
But in such conditions, desert, semi-desert, they don’t exist. This is a distinctive feature, we want to develop it. Minimum urbanization.
As far as I understand, this is the first official hundred-mile building in Russia. Right?
Yes, this is the first official 100-miler in Russia. We certified this distance, received 4 points, although we don’t strive to register with associations, we rely primarily on Russians, although it’s nice when foreigners come, but don’t deceive yourself, we live in Russia, so we count on Russian athletes.
Participants will run 2 laps, we have partially changed the distance. Previously, after 60 km the road went to a grader, for 40 km the picture was monotonous, it happened that people began to see hallucinations. Now they have changed this section, paved it closer to the lake, there are better views, the trail is good for running, you can meander.
You complete the first lap, check in, most likely there will be electronic timing, and go on to the second lap.
This year we made incentive medals for those who did not complete 2 laps or for those who did not meet the 24-hour target time.
We rebranded the logo this year: the skull of the imperial eagle, also known as the imperial eagle, is Elton’s symbol. The largest bird on Elton.
This is the reward that awaits the absolute winner of the ultramarathon
Elton is a global transit for migratory birds; here they refuel with salt. There are thousands of them there when they fly south.
Those who run at night may encounter another bird - the steppe eagle owl.
There are wolves there too, but small, steppe ones, there are raccoon dogs, horses, and foxes. There are also snakes, very few poisonous ones, but you still need to watch where to step.
Are you not looking for mass participation, and the limit of participants is selected quite quickly without any additional advertising?
Yes, this creates some elitism and a healthy excitement in participating in these particular competitions.
During the distance, participants will be able to use the help of a support team. Are there any nuances? Will the support team need to register somehow before the start? Are there any restrictions on the number of assistants, etc.?
Yes, we introduced car escort crews for the first time, everyone can submit an application during registration, declare an escort crew, which, however, will not accompany the entire distance, we cannot travel a lot and often so as not to destroy the animals of the reserve.
We will permanently install points that are already marked on the tracker, attached to the position.
We will issue our own stickers with the marathon runner’s number on the car, and the participants themselves can brand the car in support of their friend.
The crew will also be provided with reflective vests, food, since this is practically a mobile food station, fruit, water, isotonic drinks, cola, and raisins.
Are there any restrictions on the number of assistants in the car?
There are no more than two people in the car, as there must be room in case of evacuation. We will be packing the car with food, so there must be room in it.
We will have water for refreshment in two places:
The first is Khutor Krasnaya Derevnya, at 50 km of the first lap. We will put up large tents there, where a marathon runner, an ultra-marathon runner who sleeps at 8 o’clock, can sleep, change shoes, change clothes, wash, there is a well, we will organize a massage, good food, pilaf, pies, broth, etc.
The second base camp is the starting town, where, within the village of Elton, the participant can rest after completing the first lap, guests can support and accompany the marathon runners, but after the 2nd kilometer the accompaniment will be suppressed and punished. All identified unauthorized escorts, bicycle escorts, escorts in cars, the participant will be subject to a DNF.
There will be cycling volunteers on difficult sections, but there won’t be many of them, in this Elton’s point you run alone, overcoming yourself.
This year we will install a bathtub with ice cubes in the starting town. There will be some more tricks at the start, the start will be at night. We will try to make a beautiful light, maybe there will be fires, but this is in the planning stage.
We will include a headlamp plus a flashing flashlight as mandatory equipment; we will require it to be placed behind you so that you can navigate, so that those walking behind can see you. I recommend running ultratrails and ultramarathons in pairs.
A cream with protection over 50 creates a crust and the body does not breathe, we recommend taking up to 40.
As for vehicle crews, we require a first aid kit, and we will provide some medications.
At 100 miles you have eligibility criteria for the distance. Are there any cases of applications from those who do not meet these criteria? Have you already eliminated someone?
Admission criteria are specified in the regulations. This is the presence of ITRA qualifying points, 7 points, i.e. one 100 mile race, or 2 50 km races.
We ask some additional questions, although we already know many of them.
Are the competitors in the 100 mile mostly those who have run your events in previous years?
Almost everyone who has already run 100 km, who has retired from the race, is going to conquer Elton in 2017, to knock on his salty beard, as they say.
Elton doesn’t let go, 70% are people who have already participated.
We screened out, 7-8 people did not meet the requirements stated in the regulations. Many people ask to be put in line, they say that they will get points.
In addition to the hundred-mile course, will there still be another satellite distance?
Due to popular demand, we left the second distance, making a compromise between light and master - 38 km. Many people asked to make the distance 42 km, but I think that if you want to run 42 km, then this is a classic city marathon.
We adapt to nature, as nature decreed that this stream flows exactly here, we cannot create a different distance. Not a bad number - 38, a decent distance.
Who do you think is a potential participant for 38 km? Is the distance suitable for those who want to try trail running for the first time, or is this a serious test not for beginners?
Marathon runner, trail runner who tried his hand at the city, maybe ran the Golden Ring, aspiring marathon runner, I would say.
A decent distance, we are moving away from skyrunning here, a classic trail, very comfortable for beginners, no need to climb or jump, several small 100-meter climbs. This is an exceptional place to fall in love with the trail.
Also, these competitions are suitable for those who want to test themselves in hot weather. Elton is a registered hot spot. At the first Elton we had 51 degrees, at previous competitions - 43.
We had participants, famous marathon runners, who retired from the race due to heatstroke.
Elton is a mystical place, it attracts.
Your application opened on September 3. How does it proceed? What is the forecast regarding slot exhaustion?
Registration is going well, as planned, more than 30% of applications have already been selected. One of our slogans: “we want to know everyone by sight.” We want this to be a friendly team. This is another reason why we don't do mass trails.
The forecast for the exhaustion of slots is, I think, December, January.
There are applications from foreign participants, but there are not many of them.
Is Elton promoting internationally?
We are making progress, but we focus mainly on Russian athletes. There will be publications in international journals and articles.
We will give discounts at Expo in Sochi, there will be meetings in mid-December in Moscow, in January before the Road of Life in St. Petersburg.
Tell us a little about the sponsors and partners of the race?
One of our partners is Asics. Participants will have a T-shirt starter pack, there will be finisher T-shirts.
Also among the partners is a local brewing company, but many contracts have not yet been signed.
Is it difficult to resolve the issue with the management of the natural park?
Everything is fine with them, with the Committee of Natural Resources and with the administration.
Of course, we also have problems. For example, logistics, with electricity.
We had to solve the issue of water, there is almost no fresh water, even all the rivers flowing into the lake are salty. Last year, 12 tons of water were spent, 2 tons of drinking water and 10 tons of technical water. We developed a well and installed pumps.
In general, Elton has a special atmosphere. Another advantage here is that people live here in one place. People sit on the sand, ukuleles, mats, we make a big fire pit, an open-air cinema, amateur performances. We are waiting for the artists. All this will be announced.
I would like to tell you about the team. The team is me, Katerina Ushakova, a person who devotes herself entirely to this event. Maxim Maklakov, responsible for the media part, for the starting town. Alexey Berdyugin is an experienced marathon runner who has been with us from the very beginning, Elton’s soul, and is responsible for marking. Nadezhda Derevshchikova joined this year; she will be the eldest at the 100-mile distance. We will try to organize something like a call center this year. We are trying to come to an agreement so that we can track the participants at a distance via satellites. Maria Orekhina is in charge of a group of volunteers. This is our main team.
Are you planning to organize other races?
There are ideas for other regions. There is a desire to develop the Karakum Desert, but no agreement has been reached with Turkmenistan yet. I would like to hold competitions in the desert, but this is the territory of another state; in Russia there is no such landscape.
We thank Vyacheslav for the conversation and wish him further success in organizing this unique start!
You still have the opportunity to become a participant in the first official ultramarathon in Russia over a distance of 100 miles! Registration - !
