The organizers told RIA Novosti that the race brought together dozens of cyclists from Moscow, St. Petersburg and other Russian cities as well as from Finland, Sweden, Italy, the United States and Australia. Amateur cyclists can also take part in the race riding their own snowmobiles.
The first day of the competition features a circuit race in the stadium of Petrozavodsk, the republic's capital city. The second day will see an individual snowmobile cross-country race for the Russian National Motorcycle Federation Cup. On February 21, the last day of the competition, cyclists will take part in a 110 km race on the ice of the Onega Lake to the island of Kizhi famous for its unique open-air museum of ancient Russian wooden architecture. The Onega Lake race is a separate event whose results will not affect the overall standings after the first two races.
On Saturday, Karelia also hosted the Russian stage of the international Nordic Ski Masters marathon.
The marathon organizers told RIA Novosti that they expected over 200 skiers, both professionals and amateurs, to take part in the competition. The athletes from Karelia, Finland, Sweden and Norway will compete in two age groups and run in 26 km and 52 km races respectively.
The international Nordic Ski Masters marathon brings together skiers from Scandinavian countries and traditionally comprises three stages held in Finland, Sweden and Norway. Last year, the organizers decided to include one more stage to be annually held in Karelia.
