My break from running competitions lasted almost two months in the winter. During this time, I even started to miss the atmosphere that always prevails at such sporting events. So, in order not to waste my time, I decided to look for interesting races to open the next running season with. As a result, my choice fell on winter trail racewhich took place on the territory of Vynohradarskyi forest in Kyiv and was called “Winter Kalancha Trail”. Here I had 22 kilometres of snow-covered trails in the winter forest, and at the same time a good opportunity to test my preparation for the start of the season.
Registration
You could register for the "Winter Kalancha Trail" online at vseprobegi.org. When applying, each athlete had to choose one of two courses: the main 22-kilometre course or an 11-kilometre satellite course.
The route of the "Winter Kalancha Trail" race for the main 22-kilometre course ran along the snow-covered paths of the Vynohradar Forest and consisted of two laps of 11 kilometres each. The day before the competition or just before it started, the trail participants could pick up their starter packs with numbers on the territory of the well-equipped starting town.
Run
I opened this year's running season on the last Sunday of January with a jog along the snowy trails of the Vynohradiv forest, which I first met back in 2019 while participating in the “Salomon Winter Cross”. I really liked the route and organisation of this running event. This year, as soon as the announcement of the "Winter Kalancha Trail" was made, I immediately decided to take part in it. So, I was looking forward to the last Sunday of January with great anticipation.
I decided to get to the "Winter Kalancha Trail" starting point early in the morning to get my starter pack, which I hadn't had time to pick up on the eve of the competition, and at the same time to take a little walk in the forest. As for the run itself, the start of the "Winter Kalancha Trail" took place at 10 am, immediately after a short briefing by the organisers.
The first kilometres after the start I covered quite briskly and easily, oddly enough. The first half of the trail race (11 kilometres) went by quickly in 1 hour and 5 minutes. This was facilitated by both the race route, which had many straight sections, and the fact that it was convenient to run along snow-covered trails, it was almost impossible to get off the route, and there were volunteers at the main turns to point you in the right direction. Therefore, during the run, you could not worry about the markings, but focus on running and admire the scenery at the same time the beauty of the snowy forest.
The second part of the trail began with a food station where participants could recharge their batteries with various delicacies and warm up with warm tea. After that, they set off to conquer the next 11 kilometres of the "Winter Kalancha Trail". This part of the competition went by pretty quickly - 1 hour and 10 minutes. However, I had a small annoyance here - at mile 10, I noticed that I had lost my chip somewhere and it upset me a little. In general, the winter adventure along the trails of the Vynohradar Forest called "Winter Kalancha Trail" for me was completed in 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Impression
"Winter Kalancha Trail" winter trail race was memorable for the good organisation of the trail and an interesting route through the snowy forest. This allowed us not only to enjoy an interesting run, but also to admire the beauty of the winter forest, and at the same time test our strength at the beginning of the running season.
