On September 26, 2026, Nizhny Novgorod hosted the jubilee, 100th athletics relay race for the prizes of the newspaper "Nizhny Novgorod Pravda" — one of the oldest sporting competitions in the region, held since 1927, including during the years of the Great Patriotic War.[1]

Venue and Format

For the first time in the competition's entire history, the venue for the relay was the embankment of the Rowing Canal — at the sports and entertainment center "Gorodrom."[2] The relay features teams of ten people: each participant covers a leg of 200 meters and passes the baton to the next athlete. Men's and women's teams compete separately. The top teams from sports clubs and universities have an additional zero leg of 800 meters, in which individual prizes in memory of Honored Masters of Sport Aleksandr Brylin and Valentina Fokina are contested.[1]

The program included 11 races. Teams from general education and sports schools, schools of Olympic reserve, fitness and wellness complexes, vocational educational organizations, municipalities, enterprises, and institutions took to the starting line. A separate race was provided for participants in the special military operation. Representatives of executive authorities, institutions and enterprises of the region, religious denominations, and ethnic communities competed in a mixed relay comprising five men and five women.[1] Based on the results of the competitions, more than 70 teams received awards. In the mixed race for regional authorities and organizations, the 2022 winner was the team of the Nizhny Novgorod Diocese, which covered the distance in 6 minutes 9 seconds; second place went to the team of the regional Ministry of Sport, and third to the team of the Regional Legislative Assembly.[3] In 2022, when the 96th relay was held, around 100 teams and nearly 1,000 recreational runners took part; the competition was held near the Nizhny Novgorod stadium.[3][2]

Jubilee Program

Following the award ceremony, a draw was held for "100 prizes for participants of the 100th relay race of *Nizhegorodskaya Pravda*." The lottery ticket number was printed on the back of each participant's race bib. Prizes included thermal mugs, T-shirts, books, hoodies, tickets to a football match, and gift certificates; the grand prize was a flight on a Boeing 737 simulator.[2] The prizes were provided by partners of Nizhny Novgorod Regional Information Center: volleyball club Gorky, FC Nizhny Novgorod, the Persona clinic, Planetarium named after Georgy Grechko, the Association of Lawyers of Russia, the administration of Nizhny Novgorod, Rostelecom, VTB, the company Liner 737, and Kvarts Publishing House.[2]

To mark the anniversary, a special booklet was published dedicated to the century-long history of the *Nizhegorodskaya Pravda* relay race; it was distributed to, among others, the top teams of the competition.[1]

Context

The anniversary relay race was held concurrently with the 77th road race for prizes from the Government of Nizhny Novgorod Region and formed part of the athletics festival "Queen of Sport." The festival's program also included the Russian championship in the 100 km run and interregional competitions at distances of 50 and 100 km.[1]

Sources

  1. Nizhegorodskiye Novosti — The 100th relay race for prizes from *Nizhegorodskaya Pravda* takes place in Nizhny Novgorod
  2. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" — 100 prizes to be drawn at the anniversary race of the newspaper *Nizhegorodskaya Pravda*. Nizhny Novgorod News (archive)
  3. nne.ru — In 2022 (the 96th race), approximately 100 teams and nearly 1,000 amateur runners took part in the relay; the competition was held at the Nizhny Novgorod stadium. (archive)