Thousands of runners braved the wind and rain as they took part in the 27th Moscow marathon. Not a glamorous outing for many – but organisers are happy with the turnout.

The dreadful weather was really a dampener, considering the spectacular sights on the marathon route. Starting with the stunning backdrop of St Basil's Cathedral, the competitors pass the Kremlin walls, the Christ the Saviour Cathedral and the Peter the Great Monument.on their 26-mile run.

Moscow has never claimed to compete with New York or London in the marathon glamour stakes, and with the weather limiting crowd support, it was a tough run for the 2,000 or so enthusiasts from over 35 countries.

Ukraine’s Ivan Babaryga won the men's race in a time of two hours ten minutes, whilst another Ukrainian, Tatyana Vernigor, won the women's race.
It’s not known as a quick circuit so no records are ever set here. But in 1999 Yevgeni Ponomaryov was in the mass of competitors, but with a difference – he ran half the race with a 50-kg bag of sugar on his back to enter the Guinness book of records.

So, with another Moscow marathon day over, they'll be hoping for more clement weather next year.