Penza, 9 February 2019. PenzaNews. Competitions within the 37th all-Russian mass race Ski Track of Russia were held at the stadium Snezhinka in Penza on Saturday, February 9.

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During the official ceremony held before the start, deputy chairman of the Penza region government Yuri Denisov read out the greeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the participants of the sports action.

"These traditional competitions are famous for their friendly, informal atmosphere and are considered to be one of the most significant and large-scale events of the winter season. They unite fans of skiing across our country in one big close-knit team, give everyone an opportunity to try their hand, to compete with professional, titled athletes, to feel support of relatives and friends. And, of course, the famous Ski Track of Russia allows seeing with one's own eyes how important physical culture and sports, active and healthy lifestyle for young people of all ages are. I wish you success and good luck in the upcoming race," the text says.

Boys and girls born in 2001 and younger were asked to cover a distance of 5 km, and men and women born in 2000 and older – 10 km.

To create a festive atmosphere, performances of creative teams were organized.

In addition, there was a field kitchen at the site.