Lindsy:
On September 12, I did run the beautiful course and finish the race along with three other running partners. However, due to two incidents that occurred, I would also like to request a refund of my second registration fee. First, despite the representation that refreshment would be available every 2.5 km on the course, nothing was even available until after the 5k mark. When one of my running partners and I approached the first water station, we were turned away with no explanation. Luckily, I carried a water bottle on the run although it was nearly empty when I got to the first station. I finally received water at the 7k mark, more than 2/3rds through the 10K course. Failing to provide water as advertised as well as refusing available water to an approaching runner is simply unacceptable and potentially detrimental to runner health and safety.
After crossing the finish line, my partners and I joined a large crowd of other runners waiting for a finisher’s medal at the medal tent. The crowd was turned away and reportedly told that there were no more medals. A few minutes later, after another runner emerged from the medal tent with a medal in hand, I joined others who went back to request one. The workers in yellow ASICS vests told us to leave. I approached the workers and explained in simple Russian that I had paid for and finished the race and would like the medal that I was promised. I was told simply, for you, “no medal.” During this exchange, workers brought additional unopened boxes of medals to the tent. We again requested a medal and were given the nonsensical explanation that the new boxes would not be distributed to us. Upon further exchange, we were told that we couldn’t have them, only marathoners. We were then directed to a trash pile and told we could search through that if we wanted a medal. When I waited to see if more boxes or multi-lingual race coordinator would arrive, a male race worker pulled out a gun, shook it at me and told me in Russian to leave fast. I stood there in complete shock and disbelief. I later decided that it may have been a race pistol, but nonetheless, my sense of accomplishment and otherwise enjoyable race experience was replaced with a feeling of fear, disappointment and sadness. After this act of intimidation at the “international peace” race, I chose to leave instead of checking out any post-race festivities.
Jan:
Dear Sirs,
What a run - I was denied water and upon arriving, I received no Medal nor T-shirt and no certificate.
Could you please send it (address, see below).
Katherine:
was really disappointed we were denied water until the 7k mark, no tshirts as advertised, and no medals! an official actually threatened us with the starter pistol when we asked why we could not get a medal! beautiful run, VERY poorly organized, and the threat of physical violence at a "peace"marathon was unbelievable and unacceptable.
Cornelia:
I´m not amused about the 10 km Running in Moskau. You promise a t-shirt, every 2,5 km waterstations, medaille and a certificate after finish this running. I get nothing of this things. On the route, the russian people laugh about me if I ask for water-unbelievable!!!!! I meet a lot of ohter foreign people and also russians and their are also not amused.
I´m very disapointed...