Over 300 students and pupils from Irkutsk joined the training session with the Rector of INRTU

Rector Mikhail Korniakov expressed his wishes for everyone to have a great time and get charged up with the spirit of sport:

"We are glad to see you at the stadium of Irkutsk Polytechnic University! Be energetic and athletic. Add sports to your life, and then you will succeed."

As previously reported, it was the rector who initiated the sports intensification. Mikhail Korniakov keeps a healthful lifestyle, jogs five kilometres every day and plays tennis. He became the ideological inspirer of the Run Together project and joined the Torch Relay of the XXIX World Winter Universiade.

Anton Medko, Deputy Mayor of Irkutsk, noted that sports facilities regularly appear in the capital of the Angara Region. Thanks to that, young people develop and strive for new achievements. Anton Medko thanked the rector of INRTU for participation in opening of city sports grounds, organisation of thematic events and contribution to popularisation of a healthy way of life.

The participants of the project were welcomed by Elena Kuzmina, Director of the Lyceum of the Irkutsk State University, and Yulia Selezneva, Director of the Youth Personnel Centre of the Ministry of Youth Policy of the Irkutsk Region.

According to Ivan Mankov, acting head of the University Youth Policy Department, this is the third time the training with the rector has taken place. Every year interest in the event grows. This year almost 240 students and over 100 students of schools, lyceums, technical colleges participated in the marathon. This demonstrates that a healthy lifestyle is becoming more and more popular among the townspeople, and they are happy for the informal outdoor socializing.

Larisa Kuznetsova, a university teacher, led the class to rhythmic tracks. The training program included three blocks of air squats, running, cardio, plank and lunges. The exercises were interspersed with a quiz on knowledge of the human muscular system.

Tatiana Leydi Guevara Rada from the School of Architecture, Construction and Design attended the training session. The girl came to Russia 10 years ago. She has bachelor's and master's degrees from the Patrice Lumumba Russian University of Peoples' Friendship and postgraduate studies at the INRTU. As Tatyana Leydi admits, with such a busy schedule it is rare to find time for physical exercise, but the fitness marathon energised her and motivated her to start her morning with a workout.

"It's been great. Training first is about socialising with friends and colleagues. And the rector inspires us to move forward in sport and life," shared Tatiana Leidy.

The event included a lottery. The winners received season tickets to the University's Sports and Recreation Centre, souvenirs, and gifts from the regional Ministry of Youth Policy. A reposting competition was won by Daria Smirnova, a student of the Geological Prospecting Technical School. The kit includes dumbbells, an ergometer, a fitness elastic band, a skipping rope, and protein bars. According to the student, she exercises regularly, so she will definitely use the prizes.