Elbrus records

You can see that some different variations on the theme "Elbrus Race" appeared now, and it looks like there're some sort of magical power is in this simple words!
How to understand where is the real Elbrus Race? Where the absolute records had been
established? Where is a place of interest and and the meeting for young ambitious as far as
the mountaineering selebrities?

This Fall for the eighth time Elbrus will host the competitions in speed climb - the International Elbrus Race. It is the oldest such kind competition on this peak. It was born at the initiative of the great athletes-mountaineers, and can be proud of the participation of many famous persons.

The first Elbrus Races (not like special training before the high-altitude expeditions)
was organized in 1989-90 by Vladimir Balyberdin, he could gathered such mountaineering
"monsters" as Anatoly Bukreyev (1989, 1 h 47 min from Prijut11 to East top, the Winner),
Valery Hrishaty (1989, 2 place on the route from a Prijut 11 to East top), Alexander Shejnov (1989, 3 place of Prijut 11 to East Top), Vladimir Shopin (organizer), Elena Kuleshova (1989, 1990, Director of the race), and many others...
In 1990 the foreign climbers had already participated in Elbrus Race: Kejvin Clooney
(United States), Patrick Healy (United States)

Unfortunately, Vladimir Balyberdin's death afoul of these annual competitions for long run.
Up until 2005, when Top Sport Travel company and climbing server www.Russianclimb.com
have revived the tradition of annual autumn races to Elbrus top. In new format the route
started from Barrels (3708 m) with the finish on the Western top (5642 m).
For 7 launches (2005-2012) many records were set on Mount Elbrus in International Elbrus Race.

Already in the second year of the development (2006) the race was enriched by the additional
format: beside if the classic route from Barrels, the trail appeared from the foot of
the Mount Elbrus – the Azau Meadow (2400 m). So, the strongest athletes could fight on
this truly extreme distance (and then they were only four guys that year!). A striking
result had been showed by Kazakhstan mountaineer Denis Urubko: from Azau to the Western top he run for 3hrs 55 min 58 sec! It was a sensation. And his teammate from Almaty
Svetlana Sharipova has established the women's record at the route from the Barrels, which lasts till now: 3 hrs 21 min 29 sec. This is by far the absolute female record in speed climb of the highest point of Europe from the Barrels.

The male record on that route was set by Andrew Puchinin (2 hrs 46 min 09 sec).

In 2007-2008 the previous records haven't been broken.
In 2009, on the route Barrels - West top the athlete from Rostov-Don Valentin Vergilush
has set a new men's record: 2hrs 36 min 02 sec. For thas remarkable result Valentin was
nominated for the State Award "Proryv" In addition to Valentin, the two athletes have
improved Andrew Puchinin's time: Anton Proshenko from Omsk (2 hrs 43 min 10 sec) and
Mikhail Klimov (2 hrs 45 min 46 sec).

In 2010, the International Elbrus Race again borned the sensation:
Young pole Andrzej Bargiel made the seemingly impossible: he managed improved the record time by Denis Urubko on more than half an hour, running from Azau to West Elbrus
top, and showed the result 3 hrs 23 min 37 sec!
This is by far the absolute speed record ascent on Mount Elbrus from Azau

In the same year the route Azau - West top was first run by girls!
These were two very strong competitors – Maria Khitrikova from Dnipropetrovsk
(Ukraine) and pole Aleksandra (Ola) Dzik. Ola came to the finish line at the top for
5 hrs 04 min 51 sec, which was the women's track record.
On the ckassic route Andrew Puchinin Barrels bettered his own time and set the new record:
2 hrs 34 min 33 sec!
After an enforced break in 2011 (because of the situation in the Caucasus), in 2012
the International Elbrus Race was once again with fresh records:
Anton Proshenko from Omsk, won the competition on Barrels-west top route, showing time 2 hrs 28 Min 02 sec! (this is by far the absolute speed record ascent on Mount Elbrus
from Barrels). Kazakhstan mountaineer Aggei Skopin reached the finish just after him: his time was 2 hrs 31 min
35 sec!

The annual International Elbrus Race competition will be held on September 20, 2013 .
Among the applications there're already cast athletes from 10 countries. There are
applicants for new records on both tracks! The competition promises to be colorful and
exciting, a real sports holiday!

General sponsor of the competition, as before, the NPF BASK.

The organizers are TOP SPORT TRAVEL company and RussianClimb

The registration is on competition site www.elbrusrace.com