"Run, Hero!" is an annual all-Russian charity half-marathon held in Nizhny Novgorod since 2015. The event is organized by ANO "Rating Sport" (INN 5252050062). The race is considered the largest mass running event in Nizhny Novgorod Region and has twice earned the city the title of Running Capital of Russia.[3][4]

Format and Distances

The event takes place at the end of May over two days; the start village and sports expo (EXPO) have been hosted at Sovkombank Arena stadium (1a/1 Betankur Street) since 2026.[3] The traditional distances of 5 km, 10 km, and 21.1 km are offered; in 2026 a full marathon of 42.2 km was added for the first time.[4] The headline distance of 21.1 km is certified by the Association of International Marathons and Road Races (AIMS).[3]

The 5 km course takes in the Strelka — the confluence of the Volga and the Oka — and the Volga Embankment. The 10 km route runs across the bridge over the Oka and along the embankments. The half-marathon course passes over Kanavinsky Bridge, through the historic center, past the Kremlin and Minin Square, with an ascent via Zelensky Descent (an 80 m elevation gain over 1.5 km, total gain — 145 m).[4]

Runners set off in clusters; pacers are provided on the 10 km and 21.1 km distances. Baggage storage, changing rooms, and a corporate village with individual tents are available.[3][5]

Scale and Participants

In 2025, on the eleventh running of the race, approximately 19,000 participants took to the start line, including more than 4,000 children — a record children's start in the entire history of the project, both in Nizhny Novgorod Region and across the country as a whole.[2] Among adult participants, 7,675 completed the 5 km distance, 5,235 the 10 km, and 2,221 the half-marathon. The corporate standings featured 265 teams from various companies and organizations in the region, with a combined total of more than 8,000 participants from businesses.[2] In 2026, the results across the three main distances were recorded as follows: 7,588 participants in the 5 km, 4,471 in the 10 km, 1,934 in the 21.1 km, and 194 in the 42.2 km marathon.[3]

Athletes with disabilities are permitted to compete; some complete the distance independently, while others are assisted by volunteers.[2] At the 2025 half-marathon, the 65+ age category was particularly notable: the best results among women were shown by Zoya Karazinova, and among men by Aleksandr Knyazev. Second place went to Nadezhda Trefilova and Vladimir Emelyanov, and third to Marina Kholina and Vladimir Postnikov.[1] Among the participants, 93-year-old Klara Bogatova stood out — a veteran athletics champion with more than a thousand official race starts to her name, who completed the 5 km distance.[1]

Charitable component

A portion of the entry fees is directed toward supporting social sports projects. In 2025, approximately 4 million rubles were donated to charity.[3] The winner of the 2025 "Run, Hero!" social initiatives competition was the inclusive project "Showdown52": the funds received were used to purchase special showdown tables (an adapted form of table tennis for the visually impaired) for sports and fitness centers in Lyskovo and Vyksa; in the future, a section is to open in Dzerzhinsk at the regional adaptive sports center "Parus".[2] In 2026, proceeds from the sale of supporter medals were directed to the Nizhny Novgorod Siyaniye center, which supports children with Down syndrome.[4] The "Bet and Win" Foundation is a permanent partner of the event and organizes special training sessions, including in collaboration with the Russian Basketball Federation's "Silent Basketball" project for people with hearing impairments and wheelchair athletes.[1]

Sources

  1. Newsroom24 — "Run, Hero!" Half-Marathon Brought Together Sports Veterans in Nizhny Novgorod
  2. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" — "Run, Hero!" Half-Marathon in Nizhny Novgorod Drew Nearly 19,000 Participants — Nizhny Novgorod News
  3. events.run-rus.com — Event — Charity Half-Marathon RUN, HERO! 2026 — National Running Movement
  4. runhero.ru — RUN, HERO!
  5. corpsportnn.ru — RUN, HERO! 2026 Half-Marathon