Marathon of Russian-Georgian Friendship - Moscow-Tbilisi Will Start on Sunday

The Marathon of Russian-Georgian Friendship - Moscow-Tbilisi will start on Sunday, April 20th.

In a RIA Novosti interview, the president of the International Super-Marathon Association, Eduard Yakovlev, called the upcoming race "a mission of popular-sport diplomacy." Thirty runners will take part in the marathon - seventeen from Russia and thirteen from Georgia. Apart from well-known sportsmen, such as world champion in 1,000 miles running Vladimir Glazkov, ordinary engineers, teachers, workers and doctors will take part in this marathon. Among the marathon runners seven are women and two children of 7 and 14 years of age.

According to Eduard Yakovlev, in big cities and historical centres the runners will stop for several hours "to carry out representative missions." One of such places will be the city of Georgiyevsk where many-many years ago a treaty of friendship between Russia and Georgia was signed.

On April 30th, the marathon runners will finish in the Tbilisi Victory Park.

The president of the International Super-Marathon emphasised that this action of Russian-Georgian friendship was blessed by Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All Russia and Primate of the Georgian Orthodox Church Ilia the Second. Apart from that, the marathon was supported by the Russian parliament, the parliament and the government of Georgia and the Sports Ministries of both countries.

Eduard Yakovlev pointed out that the Moscow-Tbilisi Marathon is the thirteenth peacemaking action of the International Super-Marathon. The previous marathons connected Russia with such member countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) as Belarus, Moldova, Kazakhstan and Ukraine.