Pancake Relay
Mar 4, 2025
150 people - 10 teams of 15 athletes each - became participants of the “Pancake Relay”, which opened the “Sunny Shrovetide” holiday in the Nikolai Ostrovsky Park of Culture and Recreation. The Relay Race started at 10 a.m. from the small stage of the park.
Folk Entertainment
The participants of the race were teams of employees of CMK, SMPP, children from the Arion Center, cyclists from the Pobeda Sports School, gymnasts from the Bobrov Sports School, Oka Sports School and cadets from Secondary School No. 2. The teams included athletes of different ages. The relay race was sponsored by Skovo brand, which provided the participants with relay sticks and pans.
- Pancake Day is one of the most famous old folk festivals, which is still celebrated today. The celebration lasts for a whole week, during these days pancakes are baked and a stuffed straw Shrovetide is burned to see off the winter and welcome the spring. For several centuries, the holiday is also accompanied by folk games and amusements, - said the organizers of the competition.
One and a Half Kilometers for 15 People
Before the start of the relay, the athletes gathered around the small stage for the instructions and warm-up. Then the participants went to take their places at the relay pan handover points.
Despite the fact that the organizers called the relay race a humorous event, the participants had to overcome quite a serious distance - a big lap on the new path of the park. The total distance was 1.5 kilometers, 100 meters for each participant.
- We always celebrate Pancake Day at home, but I had never participated in such competitions before. I don't do serious sports, but I like physical education at school and cycling, so I decided to take part in the relay race,” said Polina Vyukova, granddaughter of a CMK employee.
The participants of the race had to pass each other not just a baton, but several items at once. The athletes' uniforms included an apron, a cooking mitt and a frying pan with a rag pancake. When changing team members, they had to change their apron and mittens, and it was not an easy task not to lose the pancake on the way.
- The participants had to not only run, but also carefully carry a pancake on a frying pan, passing it to the next member of the team. This unusual format brought not only sporting excitement to the competition, but also a lot of positive emotions for participants and spectators,” said Olga Kochergina, inspector of the Department of Culture and Youth Policy.
The CMK team consisted of 17 people - 15 athletes from the main squad and substitutes. Together with them, numerous fans came to the park - colleagues, moms, dads, grandmothers and friends.
- We came to support our team, celebrate spring, and have fun. I haven't trained for a long time, but I used to love jogging. Where I will have to run is still an intrigue, besides, I am a reserve member of the team, I will run if there are not enough people in the main team,” said Anastasia Prokhorova, Leading Manager of the Sales Department of CMK.
Before the start of the relay, the metallurgists practiced the handover of ammunition twice. They lined up in the order of passing the frying pan with a pancake and rehearsed the scheme of actions. After all participants took their places on the course, the relay race started.
Medals and Pancakes for Everyone
Our team came fifth, which did not spoil the Shrovetide mood of the metallurgists. The first place was taken by the team of SMPP, the second by the Oka Soccer Club, and the third by the gymnasts of the Vsevolod Bobrov Olympic Reserve Sports School.
- I really enjoyed running. On such a holiday it's good to unwind, it's invigorating. The distance of 100 meters seemed short. In general, I do track and field athletics, so I often run such distances,” said Elisey Dolsky, nephew of an employee of the Company, who finished the race for the CMK team.
Just before the start of the relay race in Stupino it snowed, which everyone was looking forward to in winter and not so much in March. So the athletes had to run in an unexpectedly heavy snowfall.
- We have a great team, there are participants from the younger generation, friendly, cheerful and sporty. The relay race turned out great, even the snow did not spoil it. It rather gave a feeling of saying goodbye to winter, said Evgeny Dubrovsky, a participant of the race, foreman of shop No. 002 of CMK.
The organizers also added that the “Pancake Relay” was held in Stupino for the first time. Hot tea with pancakes was waiting for the participants at the finish line. And commemorative medals in the form of the Shrovetide sun were given to all participants of the race, including fans.
