2024-05-06 12:53:25
The traditional “Lievenhof Run”, which for many years took place on November 18, was held on another national holiday – May 4 – for the second year in a row. The organizing team led by Andreja Bondarev, Aija Smirnova and Mārīti Vilcāni made sure that the participants not only enjoyed the joy of running, but also felt the festive mood. The competition was supervised by coach Vyacheslav Grigoriev as a referee. Līvāni Athletics Club took care of cash prizes for the top three in both 10km and mile. The municipality of Līvāni also helped, as well as “Brooks”, whose sports shoes could be won in the lottery.
As in previous years, this time also, apart from running enthusiasts, among the participants, you could see some of the leading Latvian runners in various distances, as well as those who achieved success in the Latvian championship several years ago. The first “Lievenhof Run” was opened by children of different ages, competing in 200m, 400m and 600m distances.
The most exciting start and the biggest intrigue was in the men’s mile, where the two-time winner of the Leeuwenhof Mile Dmitry Seryogin, Nikita Bogdanov from Daugavpils, who won the first place in this distance in 2022, and Nikita Bondarev, the U18 record holder in the 800m, who twice finished in the top three in his hometown. Such a composition promised an intense fight for victory and the presentation of a very valuable result. There was no doubt that Seryogin’s previous Leeuwenhof mile record (4:27) would be broken.
The expected intense finish spurt between Bogdanov and Seryogin took place, accompanied by a loud ovation from the audience. Although Dmitrijs repeated the Latvian record (4:15) set by Uģ Jočas in the Latvian championship in the 2023 Rimi Riga marathon, it was not enough to win, because he ran perfectly and Nikita was a second faster. Multiple junior and adult champion in the stadium and indoors, Bogdanovs, who with 4:18 last October was the best from Latvia in the world championship in running at this distance, confirmed his best status with the national record (4:14) in Līvāni, celebrating his second victory in the “Līvenhof race” and equalizing 2:2 in terms of wins at this distance with Seryogin. Bondarev, who is not in the best shape at the moment, tried more to set a fast pace from the start and promote the record, finished fourth, while Mārtiņš Babkins won the third place.
For women, the 2023 Latvian 800m champion Elīna Gumarova from Daugavpils confirmed her status as a favorite, who was only one second short of the Līvenhof mile record for women set by Valērija Linkēvičas in 2022 – 5:09. The second place was won by another student of Andrejs Domaņinas, Anželika Parfjonova, who once won medals in youth groups at the Latvian championships, who was 23 seconds behind the winner. The trio was completed by the local Lebanese Alice Yermolayeva, who took second place last year.
Ten minutes after the finish in the mile, to confirm the favorite status in the 10km, the record holder Dmitriys Seryogins, who had previously combined both distances in Livani, took the start again. Latvian record holder Serjogins, who won around Cēsis a week ago, repeated it in Līvāni, with 32:19 being unbeaten in Līvenhof’s 10km run for the fourth year in a row. Bondarev’s student Aleksandrs Raščevskis, who became the Latvian marathon champion in the Rimi Riga marathon last year, ran the first lap together with Seryogin and won the second place in the end (33:36).
In the equal fight for the third place, Kristaps Magone (35:07), the second place winner of the 2020 Rīga-Valmiera 107km and the winner of the Lūša long distance in “Stirnu buk” in May 2022, overtook the 2016 Latvian marathon champion Anatolija Matsukas, who won the third place in Līvāni several times . Dmitrijs Vecgailis, the winner of several national races and the winner of the prize-winning places, finished fifth, while Renārs Vasilijevs, another representative of SK “Bult”, rounded out the top six. SK “Bulta” led by Seryogin had arrived not only with a large team, but also noted high places, because in addition to Seryogin, Vecgailis and Vasiliev, one more representative of this club, Česlav Kižlo, took 9th place in the top ten.
Several marathon champions met and competed in 10km in Livani. In addition to the mentioned Raščevska and Matsuk, as well as the winner of the 2019 marathon, Seryogin, the 2004 and 2005 champions Armands Buš and Vyacheslav Bambans entered the top ten in the Lievenhof race with 8th and 10th place.
For women, this year’s vice-champion in 3000m indoors and last year’s bronze medalist in cross-country Veronika Masyuka won, who ran faster than 40 minutes in the only women’s competition – 39:08. The second place was won by the strong orienteer Ilona Daģe from Jelgava (OK Alnis) (40:16), while the top three was completed by Jūlija Vēvere from Jēkab.
In the Latvian championship for veterans 10km, where a coefficient was applied depending on the year of birth, the first three for men were as follows – Antis Zunda, Anatolijs Macuks and Aivars Uzols, while for the ladies the first three places were won by Ināra Lūse, Jūlija Vēvere and Ilona Daģe, the organizer was a little short of the top three For Lady Vilcana.
Next Saturday, May 11, Seryogins and many other runners, whose number will reach over a thousand, will compete in the tenth anniversary Salaspils Half Marathon, where there will also be 10km, 5km, a charity mile and children’s distances.
2024-05-06 12:53:25