Sixteen convicts at Omsk Penal Colony No. 8 have braved temperatures of minus 35 degrees Celsius to mark Russian Orthodox Christmas by running a half-marathon, regional prison officials said on Saturday.
The inmates were given the chance to compete against the runners in the annual Siberian Ice Marathon, known in Russian as the Christmas Half Marathon, held in the city of Omsk. They set off at the same time as the participants in the public event, but their route was exclusively within the prison walls.
The regional department of the Federal Penitentiary Service said 20 prisoners asked to take part in the race, but four were rejected on medical grounds.
"Penal Colony No. 8 is known for its tradition of sporting events. For the New Year holidays convicts were invited to participate in the most extreme track and field event in Russia - the Christmas Half Marathon," the prison service said in a statement.
The winner was Nikolai Gushchin, who said he had heard of the winter race when he was at school.
"I took part in interschool competitions, including athletics. I heard about the Christmas Half Marathon and the Siberian International Marathon and always wanted to take part in them," he was quoted as saying in the prison statement.
The six top finishers were awarded prizes and all the competitors attended a celebration at the prison's recreation facilities.
The traditional winter half-marathon in Omsk saw 565 runners from 16 Russian regions and several foreign countries take part. The full 21-kilometer events were won by Vadim Ulizhov from Murmansk and Omsk resident Nina Podnesesnova.
The Siberian Ice Marathon was first run in December 1991 and has been held on January 7 since 1993. It grew out of the Siberian International Marathon, which has been an annual event in Omsk since 1990.
OMSK, January 8 (RIA Novosti)
