15,000 athletes took part in the jubilee "Race of Heroes" in Mendeleevsk.

This year, 15,000 participants of the "Race of Heroes" challenged themselves and proved that nothing is impossible, even in 30-degree heat. From dawn to late at night: the athletes overcame 12.5 km and 40 obstacles. The correspondent of Izvestia, Elmira Gainutdinova, found out what helped the winners to pass the battle for survival on July 26.

The first start at first light: the jubilee "Race of Heroes" in Mendeleevsk began early in the morning so that all participants could pass the tests. In five years, this sports festival has become so popular in Tatarstan that now more than 300 teams have arrived not only from Russia, but also from foreign countries.

Dive to the bottom, conquer heights, or crawl to compete in speed. Anyone can test themselves here, but to reach the finish line, you need athletic training.

"There has never been such a long and difficult track as this time in Mendeleevsk at the Race of Heroes. 12.5 km, the participants have to overcome more than 40 obstacles. This requires not only strength and endurance, but also the ability to work in a team," the correspondent noted.

Ruslan Nigmatulin's team from Naberezhnye Chelny was not scared by the difficulties, but only provoked. Steep ditches and deep trenches, rope walls, and descending pipes proved to be an excellent test of strength, dexterity, and mutual assistance.

"The hardest thing today was the heat of +30. But it's good that there were many obstacles associated with diving into the water, and you could cool off there," shared the participant of the "Race of Heroes".

We were also surprised by some very unusual obstacles: a real helicopter, KAMAZ trucks and even a tram. After the competition, they will not be taken away, but will be turned into urban art objects.

The race in Mendeleevsk is also a music festival. This year it takes place in the Mexican style. So the teams took to the track in carnival gear.

"We are a costumed team. We used to have long, beautiful skirts, so fiery. Now we have prepared more athletic clothes for passing obstacles," said Arina Iskandarova, a participant in the Race of Heroes.

On the eve of the sports starts, Russian bikers gathered in Mendeleevsk. They supported the participants and fans of the "Race of Heroes" with a motorcycle rally. A fire show under the night sky also helped to ignite the desire for victory.

The finalists of the "Race of Heroes" also finished at sunset, but with vivid emotions.

"It's indescribable. You won't understand until you try. Until today, I thought that I was stronger," said Valentin Petukhov, a participant in the Race of Heroes.

And even if not all the teams met the allotted time, everyone reached the finish line thanks to the help of their comrades. So, the heroes of this race managed the main thing: to overcome themselves and unite for the sake of a common victory.

The participants of the "Race of Heroes" in Mendeleevsk shared their impressions of the extreme route the day before. They talked about the most difficult challenges, teamwork and emotions received during the competition. The competition was a real reboot for people who spend most of their time in the office, and passing the tests together helped the participants to rally.

The fifth anniversary "Race of Heroes" was held in Mendeleevsk on July 25, having gathered, according to preliminary data, about 5 thousand participants and thousands of spectators. This year's updated concept has completely changed the theme of the competition. The local Hero Race track remains the longest in Russia among similar projects and has over 40 obstacles. Each stage is decorated in a single style.