HSE Completes First 5km

The first official fun-run organized by HSE as part of events to mark the 25^th anniversary of its founding has taken place in Gorky Park. It drew 290 participants.

Even its name, Run√25, reflected the fact that the event was held as part of this year’s ‘anti-versary’ celebrations. The 5km run stretched along Pushkin and Andreev embankments at Gorky Park, from Green Theatre to Luzhnetsky bridge – and back again. Participants included teachers, staff, students, and graduates of HSE – as well as keen runners. For some, this was their first ever fun-run.

Friends and colleagues turned out to support the day’s runners – including First Vice Rector at HSE Vadim Radaev. He said he took part in a number of runs while he was a student. ‘It is an excellent initiative and should take place each year. 5km, 25 km, and the standard marathon – are all great. Today I only came to support the participants but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I should get out there, join in, and run.’

Amateur runner Artem Tsibak was the winner. He had seen a Facebook post about the HSE fun-run and immediately decided to take part. ‘The 5 km is my favourite distance. I am bored with those massive events. Today there’s also the ‘Running Heart’ marathon but I chose this fun-run,’ Artem said. ‘I often run here, so I know this course. Everything went well, there was even some competition.’ He also said he hoped that these fun-runs would grow and become a regular event. 

The winners in the men’s race were:

1^st place – Artem Tsibak;

2^nd place – Alexey Shcherbakov;

3^rd place – Daniil Myasoedov.

HSE graduate Oksana Akhmedova won the women’s race. Even though she has taken part – and won – numerous contests, she said the HSE fun-run was an important event. ‘It’s really nice to win at this event.’ Receiving her medal, she explained that she sees moving to Moscow and enrolling in HSE as one of the most significant events in her life, and said that envies current students.

The winners in the women’s race were:

1^st place – Oksana Akhmedova;

2^nd place – Olga Zueva;

3^rd place – Anastasia Vasilieva.

During the awards ceremony, the winners were congratulated by HSE Vice Rector Maria Yudkevich, who participated in the HSE fun-run and has taken part in a lot of marathons. She said that, marking the 25^th anniversary of its founding, HSE has decided not to get presents, but to give them, and this fun-run was its gift to us, the city, our colleagues, students and graduates.’ She added that the HSE fun-run should become a regular event. ‘No doubt you know that HSE aims to take its rightful place at the top of global ratings and to overtake leading universities. If each day we could maintain the same pace that you have all set here today, then we would have already overtaken Harvard, Stanford, and other leading universities. So let’s not lose pace.’