Unhealthy Kazan residents to be banned from participating in marathons
Running is good, but not for everyone
In two and a half weeks, on June 18, Kazan hosts the Russian Triathlon Championship and Ironstar competitions. Those who wish will compete in swimming, running and cycling. On this day, the capital of Tatarstan hosts the Olympic distance triathlon, Russian Middle Distance Triathlon Championship, Swimstar open water swims, women's and children's races. The competitions are held annually and attract the attention of not only professional athletes, but also sports fans. However, not everyone can withstand such heavy physical exertion — for example, in 2019 there was a precedent when one of the participants of the Kazan Marathon died because of a heart attack during the race. Realnoe Vremya tells about contraindications and necessary medical certificates for participation in mass starts.
Marathons are high-intensity physical activity, and only healthy people should be allowed to participate in them. Contraindications to them are as follows: diseases of the cardiovascular system (hypertension, arrhythmia, coronary heart disease), problems with the endocrine system, thyroid gland, anemia, diabetes mellitus, gastritis. It is also necessary to abandon the idea of running a marathon to those who has acute respiratory viral infections, exacerbation of a chronic disease, fever, cough and sputum, Lenar Kashapov, cardiologist and therapist at Biomed clinic, told Realnoe Vremya.
Those wishing to take part in such competitions must provide a doctor's permission. For example, to participate in Ironstar, it is necessary to show documents on the absence of COVID-19, the original medical certificate with the conclusion that the participant is allowed to compete in triathlon at a distance not less than the one he is going to overcome. This must be taken care of in advance: unlike other popular Timerman competitions, it is impossible to issue a certificate on the spot in this case. Also, a marathon runner must go to the competition together with accident insurance with triathlon risks included.
Examinations before participating in the race are standard: a general blood and urine test, a cardiogram. These are screening examinations, not in-depth, Kashapov stressed. It is desirable that before the examination of the therapist, the patient should also be examined by a sports medicine doctor, who will give his opinion.
“Of course, there are always risks that something may happen during the marathon, despite the admission. This does not mean that the admission was issued illegally, it is impossible to track and catch everything during the screening. It is very important here, when you come to the doctor, to tell about your illnesses, what happened, what medications you took. Absolutely everything. People like to keep things under wraps, and this can lead to an underestimation of the general condition.”
To minimise the severe consequences after the marathon, you need to train before it, run distances. However, the day before you need to have a good rest. An athlete should have a good drinking regime, and before the race it is necessary to consume carbohydrates.
Without a certificate — nowhere
Kazan residents taking part in city races told Realnoe Vremya that it is not so easy to get to such competitions.
According to one of the regular participants of the Kazan Marathon, Semyon Smetanin, you can pass a medical examination for admission in the arena on Millennium Square, where the registration of runners takes place. Doctors measure blood pressure, ask about sports: what kind of sports you do, whether you regularly have any experience of participating in races before. Then the doctors issue a certificate for a specific distance — 3, 10, 21 or 42 km. Third-party certificates are also accepted with a signature like “allowed to participate in 10 km running competitions”, he said.
“According to the medical certificates it is really very strict there, they are checked when you take the registration number, the day before the race. If there is no doctor's record indicating the distance, then they return the certificate and say that it is invalid. There were moments when I had to go to the therapist and ask to finish a line," Guzel, a participant of the race, shared, adding that this year she has not been given a certificate of admission to the competition until she passed a medical examination.
Another Kazan citizen, Bulat Shakiev, was sent for an ECG before giving him a certificate. After that, the therapist recommended contacting a cardiologist, while allowing for the race. The day before the marathon, he brought a certificate to the Central Stadium. The organiser checked the certificate for authenticity: she typed the data from it into the computer and, after making sure that the document was real, stamped “approved” on a copy of the certificate.
“I heard that you can buy a certificate for 500 rubles, but this information has remained a myth for me," he added.
At the same time, children do not need a certificate to participate in Timerman sports starts.
“Due to that absolute winners are not determined within the framework of children's starts, only a birth certificate or a parent's personal passport is required to participate in children's starts," the Timerman press service explained to the publication.
People came to the triathlon in the Tatarstan capital from abroad
Last year, athletes from 16 countries came to Kazan to participate in Ironstar. The marathon runners started with a swim on the Kazanka River with a length of almost 2 kilometres. Then they participated in a cycling race at a distance of 90 kilometres. The participants finished after a 21-kilometre race.
In total, more than 2 thousand athletes participated in the Ironstar Kazan 2021 Timerman Cup in races at distances 113 (swimming 1,93 km, cycling 90 km, running 21,1 km) and Olympic (swimming 1,5 km, cycling 40 km, running 10 km).
After that, in August, the capital of Tatarstan hosted the Kazan Triathlon 021 on Kaban Lake. About 700 athletes entered the competition in 37-degree heat. In general, triathlon competitions in Tatarstan began to take place back in 2016 — just with the Ironstar series.