“Every year, more and more people participate in the race, including survivors of the siege and their descendants. This allows us not only to honor the memory, but also to pass it on between generations,” the Petersburg Diary quoted Nazariy Kolomiets, head of sports projects at the Federation of Heroes. In 2026, the marathon will take place for the 57th time. With each race, the number of participants will increase, including survivors of the siege and their descendants. According to the plan, more than 7 thousand people will return to the starting line, of which 2.5 thousand will run the marathon distance (42.2 km). About 170 people have signed up so far. People will come from all over Russia: from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok, from Salekhard to Dzhankoy, including Yakutsk, Irkutsk, Khanty-Mansiysk, as well as from the Republic of Belarus, Armenia, Moldova and even Australia. The oldest person participating in the upcoming marathon is Mr. Mikhail Gershman, 90 years old. Slightly younger is 87-year-old blockade survivor Yury Grachevsky, who has run more than 40 “Ways of Life.” Also participating in the race was Anatoly Stolyarov, a 68-year-old Novgorodian – he always ran in a Red Army uniform with a Victory Banner; Previously, FederalPress wrote that the “Leningrad Memorial Candle” will be lit in Vyborg to commemorate the breaking of the siege of Leningrad. Photo: FederalPress / Polina Zinovieva
