This Saturday night, instead of putting on your dancing shoes — or your pajamas — put on your shorts, lace up your running shoes, and tighten up your headlamp. At 10:30 p.m. the Moscow Marathon will shoot off the starter for the city’s seventh annual 10-kilometer night run.
The route begins and ends in Luzhniki Stadium and follows the embankment to the Peter the Great statue before looping back.
Runners and their personal cheerleaders usually arrive at the stadium early for stretches, pep-talks and contests. Cheering along the route is encouraged. In previous years, the warm summer night, river breezes and sight of hundreds of lights dancing along the river led to romance and even a marriage proposal. When the organizers say the run is magical, they mean it.
If you haven’t already registered, click onto the marathon site and fill out the application. To pick up your participant packet, you will have to pay the registration fee, show identification, and present a doctor’s certificate.
For more information about this and other Moscow Marathon races, see their English-language site.
