Competition organizer is the Ski Racing Federation of Rybinsk. NPO Saturn acted as the General Sponsor. General management was executed by the Department of Physical Recreation and Sports of the Rybinsk Urban District Administration. The Junior Sports School No. 4 of Rybinsk ran the sports competition on-site.
About 600 skiers, professionals and amateurs took part in 50, 30 and 10 km mass starts of the Demino Ski Marathon in free technique, aged from 14 to 80, from different regions of the Russian Federation as well as from Norway, Czechia, Bulgaria, Belarus, Ukraine. Playing as the Ski Marathon host for the second time, the Demino Skiing Сenter is aiming at making it a regular sports event, the best one not only in Russia, within the RussiaLoppet series, but also within the WorldLoppet series - Long Distance Ski Race World Cup – in terms of quality of organization, number of participants and spectators.
 
According to Dmitri Korovkin, president of the Ski Racing Federation of Rybinsk, “Demino Ski Marathon  is part of RussiaLoppet Ski Marathon series, combining 16 best ski marathons of Russia. The Demino Ski Marathon is included in the International Ski Federation (FIS) competition calendar. FIS technical delegates highly appraised degree of competition preparation allowing the Demino Ski Marathon to be qualified for the WorldLoppet series. The WorldLoppet series combines the best world marathons being a high-quality mark for any race.
A Ski Marathon is a peculiar kind of ski festival. One of the special features of a Ski Marathon is that amateurs run the race in one group with top-rank skiers.  Moreover, each participant can select the distance he is able to run.  Among the world sport stars taking part in the Demino Ski Marathon are the Ockland brothers from Norway. Anders Ockland (1st place in the Demino Ski Marathon) is an Olympic champion 2002 in Salt-Lake City (gold medal in team race), the silver prizewinner of World Championship 2003 in Val di Fiemme (30 km in classical technique), prizewinner (2nd place) of Wassaloppet in 2004 and 2008, winner of stages in Jiserska Padesatka and Marcialonga 2008, overall leader of WorldLoppet Marathon FIS Cup.   Yorgen Ockland (8th place in the Demino Ski Marathon) is a winner of the Cup stage in Marcialonga 2006, prizewinner (2nd place) in Marcialonga 2007, 2008 and (3rd place) of Wassaloppet 2007, winner of Wassaloppet 2008, 5th rank in the overall classification of WorldLoppet Marathon FIS Cup.
Compared with the previous year four times as many participants toed the starting line in the main race of the Demino Ski Marathon – 50 km in free technique this year. There will be one more marathon start after the Demino Ski Marathon in the RussiaLoppet series. But it is now well understood that the Demino Ski Marathon will stay one of the five best marathons in Russia in terms of number of participants. This is a very significant measure in the ranking of the marathons held in the Russian Federation.
Through the sponsors, especially NPO Saturn, the winners of the marathon received trophies – souvenirs and clothing with official emblems of the Demino Ski Marathon, retro-styled skis «Saturn-Fisher» manufactured by Fisher, Austria, on order of NPO Saturn. 
Demino has already played as the host to several long-distance races which could also be called Ski Marathons. The first one was held in 1997. After a new Skiing Center built here, marathon traditions of Demino got a new shot in the arm.  According to a number of participants, uniqueness of the Demino Ski Marathon lies in the fact that the Skiing Center possesses an excellent ski lodge and excellent well-prepared courses. It is advantage of our Skiing Center, that is why people are pleased to come here”.
 
In fact the Demino Skiing Center deserved the right to hold National and International competitions as a result of many years’ development of infrastructure that meets the highest European standards at the present time. In the territory of the Demino Skiing Center a stadium with a 5000 spectators-tribune and the Press Center building, which is a complex of all necessary administration rooms is built. Ski courses of the Demino Skiing Center meet rules and regulations of the International Ski Federation, FIS. Having gathered extensive experience in organization of competitions at the national level, the organizers of the regular World Cup stage in Russia are able to guarantee full compliance of all issues and organizational aspects with the international rules and regulations. Sports facilities and auxiliary constructions are situated in close vicinity to each other, this fact is considered to be an exclusive peculiarity of the Russian Skiing Center by the FIS.
Rapid growth of the Demino Skiing Center is possible with the continuous and effective support of the Yaroslavl Region Administration and management of NPO Saturn - the largest industrial plant of the region. Creating of the Demino Skiing Center is one of some few projects, results of which enable us to be proud of our city, region and country, and besides handle social issues – recreation and rehabilitation of thousands of people.
 
"We have a chance to create a brand potential of which is not less than the one of the Ski World Cup stage,  – says Yuri Lastochkin, NPO Saturn General Director.  – The Demino Ski Marathon is demonstrating positive dynamics. Compared with the previous year we have 3-4 times as many competitors. Our marathon has gone into the best three national marathons, the way things are going, we have a chance to become organizers of an international marathon. There are many technical delegates here today, there are many foreign sportsmen as well; spectators’ interest rises; and it is of prime importance that we have a lot of local participants coming from Rybinsk. NPO Saturn plays a traditional role – idea-producing and support”.
 
“Demino Ski Marathon succeeded  - says Svetlana Emelina, director of the Junior Sports School No. 4. -The weather today is really suitable for skiing (we like to contend with difficulties!). It is important that young sportsmen of the Junior Sports School have the opportunity to start in the race side by side with the top-rank marathon racers. Amount of work the organizers have done is impressive, the prepared course and tracks received a five-pointer from the FIS Technical Delegate. Our marathon succeeded to my mind. We have confidence in its future. We are going to join the WorldLoppet, invite guests from abroad. We are working hard drawing the conclusions and running quite a few competitions. The Demino Skiing Center is well known within the Russian Federation and abroad. We are happy to welcome guests and sportsmen”.
 
Andrey Kondrashov, sportscaster of EuroSport-Russia channel, noted the entry list of the Demino Ski Marathon composed of top racers: “Among the participants we can see the names of the Ockland brothers from Norway, ones of the best racers competing specifically in ski marathon which is a distinguished and the most true skiing discipline. Definitely, it was not probable to compose a stronger entry list here, since these very days the National Skiing Championship is being held in Syktyvkar. At the same time specific character of marathon races calls for specific training, that is why some marathon racers have arrived in Rybinsk.
The previous day I had a look at the track, it can claim to be among the best European, American and Asian tracks. If the organizers continue to advance with the Demino Ski Marathon at this rate, it won’t take two years and it will join the WorldLoppet marathon series.
The interest in sports deepens from year to year. As for ski races, Rybinsk has become one of the leading skiing centers of the Russian Federation. Many people interested in sports having visited the Demino Skiing Center can evidence that it is one of the best national specialized centers. I am sure that the Demino Skiing Center can become one of the most attractive places both for tourists and foreign sportsmen. The Demino Ski Marathon receives support from the organizers of the Ski World Cup stage – Yuri Lastochkin, NPO Saturn General Director, administrations of the Yaroslavl region and Rybinsk, who demonstrate their devotion to skiing sports in deed and not in name”.

 

 

 

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