A mass run with the participation of around 200 participants dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Heydar Aliyev took place in Ganja.
As reported by azerisport.com, the run was organized jointly by the Azerbaijan Athletics Federation, the Executive Authority of Ganja City, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, with the support of Financial Chain Corporation.
The total distance of the mass run was 11 km. Participants competed in various categories. In the men’s absolute category, Toghrul Mamedli celebrated victory, while Anna Yusupova emerged as the winner among women. The run was also held in categories for men and women over 40, 50, and 60 years old. For participants from regions across the country, the distance was 6 km.
According to Namik Asadov, the event director and chairman of the “Run for All” committee of the Azerbaijan Athletics Federation, who spoke to azerisport.com, representatives from Baku and six regions of the country took part in the run. He stated, “Around 100 participants came from Baku. The rest represented Ganja and other regions of the country. Participants came from Agstafa, Sumgayit, Massaly, and Zagatal to Ganja. The mass run, as a tradition, was held under the motto ‘Run for All.’ I must note that there weren’t many local participants, but overall, the run was very interesting. We started receiving positive feedback immediately after its completion. People, representatives of various organizations, approached us and said that they didn’t expect the mass run to be so engaging.”
He added that the aim of the run was to promote a healthy lifestyle and increase interest in running. “We want people in the regions of the country to actively participate in such events and engage in running. We have high expectations in this regard for Ganja since it is the country’s second-largest city. This was the first major event organized by the Azerbaijan Athletics Federation in Ganja. Previously, the Ganja Marathon took place in the city in 2017. I believe that the interest will be even higher in the upcoming events. As I mentioned, we received many requests after the run, suggesting to organize a similar event in the near future. I think we will be able to hold it closer to autumn.”
Asadov noted that the highest number of participants took part in the absolute category in the 11 km distance, but there were also many participants in the categories for those over 40, 50, and 60 years old. He said, “We were pleased to see women among the participants in the category for those over 60 years old. Some of them were former athletes, while others were simply leading a healthy lifestyle.”
The federation official announced that a mass run is planned to be held in Massaly in June, followed by Ismayilli and the Baku Seaside Boulevard. The run in Ganja marked the tenth such event organized in Azerbaijan.
https://www.azerisport.com/athletics/20230531122151241.html
