Vyacheslav Glukhov - organizer and ideological inspirer of the marathon desert steppes passing around the unique Lake Elton. Together with a friendly team of like-minded people, he made this start one of the most significant events in Russian trail running, competitions with a special unique atmosphere. The fifth Elton Ultra-trail reaches a new level - the participants will have a distance of 100 miles!
We asked Vyacheslav to tell you more about the new distance and Elton Ultra-trail 2017 in general.
You were systematically moving towards the goal and on ELTON VOLGABUS ULTRA-TRAIL in 2017 a distance of 100 miles awaits us! 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 name, Russian version- “Marathon of Desert Steppes”. Changes in distance were announced. The main distance is one hundred miles. We removed the distances of 104 km and 56 km. The purpose of this: firstly, to exclude "running adventurers", since overcoming distances within the framework of these competitions may be associated with a risk to life, and secondly, the fact that the competitions are held 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 2000 rubles, movement within the territory of the reserve must be coordinated with its administration. I don’t want to turn these competitions into a massive pseudo-trail, of which there are now many near large metropolitan areas, 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 is the last gas station 150 km away, and it may not work, one cafe, one store, one ATM, unencumbered people going about their business. This is the beauty of Elton. Elton's goal is to get away from urbanization, to get closer to the wild.
There are a lot of trails, their number is growing, this year competitions have increased in Altai, in the south - Abrau-Dyurso, and a lot of others, in the Leningrad region trail is developing very massively: Finland, Norway give a good example.
But in such conditions, desert, semi-desert - they are not. This is a distinctive feature, we want to develop it. Minimum urbanization.
As far as I understand, this is the first official kilometer in Russia. Right?
Yes, this is the first official kilometer in Russia. We certified this distance, got 4 points, although we do not strive to register in associations, we count primarily on Russians, although it is nice when foreigners come, but you should not deceive ourselves, we live in Russia, so we count on Russian athletes.
Participants will run 2 laps, we partially changed the distance. Previously, after 60 km, the road went to a grader, for 40 km a monotonous picture, it happened that people began to see hallucinations. Now we have changed this section, laid it closer to the lake, there are better views, the trail is good for running, you can hop around.
You go through the first circle, you check, most likely there will be electronic timing, you go to the second circle.
This year we have made incentive medals for those who do not complete 2 laps or for those who did not meet the control time of 24 hours.
We made a rebranding of the logo this year: the skull of a burial eagle, aka the imperial eagle - the symbol of Elton. The largest bird on Elton.
Such a reward awaits absolute winner supermarathon
Elton is a world transit for migratory birds, here they refuel with salt. There are thousands of them when the flight goes south.
Those who run at night may encounter another bird - the steppe owl.
There are wolves there too, but small, steppe, there are raccoon dogs, horses, foxes. There are snakes too, there are very few poisonous ones, but you still need to watch where to step.
You are not chasing mass, and the limit of participants is selected quite quickly without any additional advertising?
Yes, this creates a certain elitism and healthy excitement in participating in these competitions.
At the distance, participants can use the help of the support team. Are there any nuances? Will the support team need to be registered somehow before the start? Are there any restrictions on the number of helpers, etc.?
Yes, we introduced auto-escort crews for the first time, everyone can apply at registration, declare an escort crew, which really 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 set the points, which are already marked on the tracker, in the attachment 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.
Also, the car crew will be provided with reflective vests, food, since it is practically a mobile food station, fruits, water, isotonic drinks, cola, 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 space in case of evacuation. We will complete the car with food, so there must be a place in it.
Water in order to refresh ourselves will be in two places:
The first is Khutor Krasnaya Derevnya, 50 km of the first lap distance. We will put up big tents there, where a marathon runner, an ultra-marathon runner who fits into 8 o'clock, can sleep, change his shoes, change clothes, wash, there is a well, we organize a massage, good food, pilaf, pies, broth, etc.
The second base camp is a starting town, where within the village of Elton, after completing the first circle, a participant can rest, guests can support, accompany the marathon runners, but after the 2nd kilometer the escort will be suppressed and punished. All identified unauthorized escorts, bicycle escorts, escorts in cars, the participant will be threatened with DNF.
There will be bicycle volunteers in difficult areas, but there won't be many of them, in this Elton's salt you run alone, overcoming yourself.
this year we will put a bath with ice cubes in the starting town. There will be some more chips at the start, the start will be at night. We will try to make a beautiful light, maybe there will be bonfires, but this is at the stage of deliberation.
We put a headlamp plus a flashing lantern in the mandatory equipment, we will require its placement in the back, so that you can orient yourself so that the one walking behind can see you. Ultra trails, super marathons, I advise you to run 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 the car crews, we require a first-aid kit, and we will partially provide medicines.
At 100 miles, you have the eligibility criteria for the distance. Are there any cases of applications from those who do not pass these criteria? Have we already weeded out someone?
The admission criteria are spelled out in the regulation. This is the presence of ITRA qualifying points, 7 points, i.e. one hundred-mile race, or 2 races of 50 km.
We ask someone additional questions, although we already know many of them.
Are the 100 mile competitors mainly those who have run in your competition in previous years?
Almost everyone who has already run 100 km, who has retired, is going to conquer Elton in 2017, to knock on his salty beard, as they say.
Elton does not let go, 70% are people who have already participated.
We screened out, 7-8 people do not meet the requirements stated in the regulation. Many people ask to put them in a queue, they say that they will get points.
Will there still be one more satellite distance besides the one hundred kilometers?
By popular demand, we left the second distance, made a compromise option between light and master - 38 km. Many asked to do a 42 km distance, but I think if you want to run 42 km, then this is a classic city marathon.
We are adjusting to nature, as nature has ordered that this stream flows here, we cannot build the distance in any other way. Not a bad figure - 38, a decent distance.
Who, in your understanding, is a potential participant for 38 km? Is the distance suitable for those who want to try their hand at trail running for the first time, or is it already a serious test for beginners?
A marathon runner, a trail runner who tried his hand in the city, maybe ran the Golden Ring, an 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, jump, a few 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 the previous competitions - 43.
We had participants, famous marathon runners, who retired due to heatstroke.
Elton is a mystical place, it attracts.
Your application was opened on September 3. How does it proceed? What is the forecast for slot depletion?
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 it to be a friendly team. This is another reason why we don't do massive trails.
The outlook for the exhaustion of slots, I think, is December, January.
There are applications from foreign participants, but they are few.
Is Elton promoting internationally?
Moving forward, but focusing mainly on Russian athletes. There will be publications in international journals, articles.
We will give discounts for the Expo in Sochi, there will be meetings in mid-December in Moscow, in January before Dear 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 in the starter pack, and there will be finisher T-shirts.
Also among the partners is the local brewing company, but many contracts have not been signed yet.
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.
We also have problems, of course. For example, logistics, with electricity.
I had to solve the issue with water, fresh water almost not, even all the rivers flowing into the lake are salty. Last year, 12 tons of water, 2 tons of drinking and 10 tons of technical water were consumed. The well was developed, the pumps were installed.
In general, Elton is a special atmosphere. Another plus here is that the people live here in one place. People are sitting on the sand, ukuleles, mate, we are making a big fire pit, an open-air cinema, amateur art activities. 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 gives all of himself to this event. Maxim Maklakov, in charge of the media part, for the starting town. Alexey Berdyugin is an experienced marathon runner who is with us from the very beginning, the soul of Elton, who is responsible for marking. Nadezhda Derevshchikova joined this year, she will be the eldest at the distance of a hundred kilometers. We will try to organize something like a call center this year. We are trying to negotiate so that we can track participants at a distance via satellites. Maria Orekhina is in charge of a group of volunteers. This is our main team.
Do you plan 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 already the territory of another state, in Russia there is no such landscape.
We thank Vyacheslav for the conversation and wish him continued success in organizing this unique start!
You still have the opportunity to become a participant in the first official ultramartphone in Russia at a distance of 100 miles! Registration - !
The unique trail running race, the first official hundred-mile in Russia, the Elton desert steppes marathon has been 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 the Elton salt lake 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 the wild.
Race program
The Elton desert steppes 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, short and long distance to choose from:
- Master 38 km. Distance 38 km - great 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. Distance covering limit - 7 hours;
- Ultimate 100 miles. 100 km is a great route for ultramarathon runners, all those who are strong in body and spirit. Participants must be at least 21 years old. The limit for covering the distance is 24 hours.
The marathon program also includes the official opening, closing and awarding ceremonies of the winners, watching movies in the open air, soft drinks, Kazakh cuisine and all the delights of life in a tent camp.
Location
The semi-desert steppes of Elton are unique park... There is no such nature anywhere else in Russia. The salt lake is located much 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 salt springs, deposits of salts and mineral mud, the healing properties of which are known throughout the world. This lake is often compared to the Dead Sea. Elton is an unspoiled nature that fascinates: herds of horses, sheep, eagles, owls, foxes, lizards and snow-white salt crystals on the coast. On the way of the marathon runners - the descents and ascents of the endless semi-desert, where on the horizon the sky merges with the earth.
The terms of participation
Anyone from any country can participate in the race, subject to the above age restrictions. One of the few necessary conditions participation - availability medical certificate, issued for at least six months and medical life and health insurance against accidents, a small entry fee. In a valid arsenal of marathon runner's tools there are only the essentials - a backpack, water, sunglasses and cream, a cap or baseball cap, a telephone. For Ultimate 100 miles athletes, the list is somewhat broader.
Not only runners are invited to participate in the event, but also support groups. Every Ultimate 100 miles member is eligible for individual team, which may consist of a car crew and volunteers in stationary camps. Throughout the entire distance, mobile and stationary food points are organized for marathon runners.
Winners and awardees are identified among two categories: "men" and "women". Who will become the conqueror of Elton and the winner over himself will be known very soon.
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 survey! Today we go to the steppe 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 need to run: see the Elton salt lake, test yourself with distance and steppe heat, reboot.
How do you rate the outgoing season? What did you manage to do and what did not work out?
New emotions were brought to our project by a new coverage of participants, Elton's partners, fans of extreme running. The year has been quite interesting. A great team was formed in the fourth marathon. The main thing in organizing such events is, of course, people. Moreover, when the event takes place not within the city, but far from civilization. So the main success of the past season, first of all, is the team of our trail. Happy New Year to everyone, I wish you health, success, health and continued cooperation.
What's new in your race in 2017?
We have radically changed the distance of the next race. We made the first official 100-mile ultra trail in Russia - “Ultimate 100 miles”. ( 160 kilometers - noteBegaem.com). Let me remind you that the super marathon distance was laid in the semi-desert zone. The temperature record registered on the track in Russia and Europe was + 50 degrees. We also changed the accompanying distance to 38 kilometers. It will be a tough start. More difficult, but more interesting. There will be several innovations in the starting town, in terms of organization, nutrition, accommodation.
What changes to the calendar will happen?
The start, as in previous months, will take place at the end of May, on the 27-28th. Now we will spend not in one day, but in two days. This is a major change. And so everything is the same. We are not going to postpone the start to a cooler April, since the intense heat is the most "raisin" of the trail. We strive to select the very best, to make an elite indoor club to exclude cross-country adventurers. We can say that the scorching heat indirectly helps us in this.
What difficulties do you have to face when organizing a competition?
The biggest difficulty is to find partners in our difficult time, to rally a team, to run a race on 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 the runners.
I wish you all willpower, reason, fewer injuries - sports and mental, successful starts in the new year!
It is no coincidence that the burial eagle is a symbol of the most extreme ultratrail in Russia. There is no place for a weak spirit and body on Elton.