Running after the sun!

The LeePrime run club team is glad to share impressions of an eventful weekend spent under the warm southern sun at the Sovcombank Sochi Marathon. In cooperation with the Grand Hotel by LeePrime, Pullman and Mercure Sochi Centre hotels, we took part in this vivid event.

On 2 November the club's founder Vladimir Dorokhin gave a motivational talk to the hotel teams, underlining the importance of overcoming challenges together and of building corporate culture through sport. All participants received small symbols of the team — branded T-shirts found their owners.

Mental practices expert Alexander Aryshtaev gave a talk about a healthy lifestyle and shared simple, practical approaches to staying in shape and in balance day to day. The teams then moved on to a meditative pause with Tibetan singing bowls.

On 3 November came the main event of the weekend — taking part in the Sochi Marathon.

"Seeing our people in our T-shirts, across all the different distances — that really is something special," says Irina Bakancheva, one of the runners. "Some chose the marathon, some the half marathon, some 10 km, and for a few a debut over five kilometres was a bright start to a new stage of their sporting journey. Everyone ran at their own pace."

Participants produced solid results across every distance.

We are sincerely grateful to the Grand Hotel by LeePrime, Pullman and Mercure Sochi Centre hotels for their warm welcome and partnership.