Yekaterinburg, Russia—Ten Russian teens are receiving free professional training for a half-marathon associated with the “Europe-Asia” Marathon.
The high school athletes started training on June 1, 2015, at the “I Choose Life” school for runners, which is in its second season. They meet twice a week under the guidance of professional trainer Dmitry Rodionov, a candidate for master of sports and the winner of regional and All-Russia competitions.
At the end of their two-month training, the young runners will apply their gained skills during a 21-kilometer (13-mile) “I Choose Life” half-marathon which will take place on August 1 as part of the First International "Europe-Asia" Marathon (42 kilometers or 26 miles). The marathon takes its name from Yekaterinburg, Russia’s fourth-largest city, which lies on the border between Europe and Asia.
The "I Choose Life!" school is a joint project of the "Run Hour" movement and the "Good Running School" of Dmitry Rodionov. “Run Hour” is a popular program of UPF-Russia in which people assemble in a public space to spend an hour running and distributing literature to promote a worthwhile cause.
The organizing committee of the half-marathon proposed to organize free lessons for beginners with Dmitry Rodionov at which the amateur athletes are given the opportunity to reach a new level in sports.
The main training approach is the "natural running technique." With this technique, the runner protects his or her knee joints from injury and learns to sparingly use his or her forces over long distances. The technique is simple and accessible to everyone, but for its proper development one requires professional help.
In addition to training practice, the school athletes are actively promoting a healthy lifestyle and participating in local sports activities, showing a good example to their friends and colleagues.
As a separate project, the school offers running lessons for beginners every Saturday throughout the summer in the Historical Park of Yekaterinburg. The program includes jogging and special running exercises, with the trainer giving individual advice to the beginners.