Nearly 15,000 people attended the festival "Race of Heroes" in Mendeleevsk.

      Almost 15,000 people attended the festival "Race of Heroes," which took place in Mendeleevsk. A total of 4,300 athletes participated in the competition, while around 10,000 people attended the event as guests. Representatives from 467 enterprises from across the country took to the start line. In comparison, last year the corporate championship brought together teams from 300 enterprises. The Deputy Prime Minister of Tatarstan and Minister of Industry and Trade of the Republic, Oleg Korobchenko, noted that such events unite employees of enterprises and strengthen team spirit. According to him, the "Race of Heroes" has become not only a celebration but also an important tool for team cohesion. The guest of the festival was the trustee of the All-Russian Olympiad in Chemistry and Chemical Technology "Descendants of Mendeleev," the founder of the GC "Azot," Roman Trotsenko. During the opening ceremony, he was awarded the title of honorary citizen of the Mendeleev district. Trotsenko personally completed the entire 12-kilometer course and compared the competition to the World Cup in football. In his opinion, the main difference of the Mendeleev "Race of Heroes" is the opportunity to complete the distance together with friends and personally experience all the obstacles. Participants had to overcome 43 challenges over a distance of 12 km. Among them were jumps into icy water, obstacles using a helicopter, a locomotive, and a tram from Pasternak. All the objects specially delivered for the competition will remain in the city as elements of landscaping and art objects. The head of the Mendeleev district, Robert Iskandarov, reminded that the festival has been held for the fifth year and has become a hallmark of the city. He reported that the unique objects prepared for this year's course will become part of the urban environment after the competition ends. Some challenges were accompanied by surprises. For the second year in a row, the company "Chelny Bread" prepared 5,000 servings of chak-chak for the participants. This time, the national treat was hidden in one of the cars that the athletes passed as an obstacle. One of the compartments was completely filled with chak-chak. Thematic decorations were prepared for each challenge. A team from the Children's Creativity Center created them over several months. This year, the festival was held under the concept "From Dawn to Dusk," inspired by Mexican motifs and the film of the same name by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino. Participants highly appreciated the organization of the competition, noting the atmosphere, attention to detail, and calling the course one of the best. The thematic decoration remains the main feature of the "Race of Heroes" in Mendeleevsk. This year, the organizers added new events to the program. A day before the start, the "Bondyuga Twister" camping site was opened. Prior to this, a motorcycle rally involving the "Night Wolves" club took place on the central streets of the city. About 50 bikers completed the route at the camping site, where a fire show, a technology demonstration, and a rock concert by The Mood were organized for the guests. Dmitry Makarov, the General Director of JSC "Ammonium," stated that the organizers strive to expand the festival program every year. According to him, the event has long ceased to be just a sports competition and has become a family holiday where everyone can find an activity of interest. This year, hot air balloons made their debut at the festival site. At sunset, balloons with portraits of Dmitry Mendeleev rose into the sky, and rides on them were free. Rafting on stand-up paddleboards was organized on the Toyma River, and in the fan zone, visitors were invited to sit in the cabins of the trucks from the "KAMAZ-master" team, which had won international rallies. In the evening, a rock concert was held for the guests. The headliner was the band "Rock Islands." Also performing were Jukebox Trio, The Mood, the Kazan group "ZHIVaGO," and the brass ensemble JUST BRASS. Another novelty was the open voting for the best costumed squad. Initially, winners were determined online, after which the jury selected the best from three finalists. The winner was the team from the Mendeleev Central District Hospital. In the corporate championship, the first place was taken by the "Ammonium" team, the second by the "Azot" CAO, and the third by the Kazan Helicopter Plant. Yuri Razbezhkin, the Deputy General Director of JSC "Ammonium," reported that the organizers are already collecting feedback from participants and guests to make the festival even better next year. According to him, the initial responses have been overwhelmingly positive, and ideas have already emerged on how to surprise the guests of the "Race of Heroes" in 2027. The festival concluded with a festive fireworks display over the highest obstacle on the course, "Everest." Throughout the day, the program "From Dawn to Dusk" united almost 15,000 participants and guests in Mendeleevsk.

      Photo: Press Service of the "Race of Heroes"