Today, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attended the awarding ceremony of the "Prime Minister's Cup" amateur cross country running in Etchmiadzin.

The tournament was held on the section of the Parakar-Ejmiatsin highway of Armavir Province, with 3 age groups, as well as a separate group of athletes. 1st age group: schoolchildren aged 15-17, 2nd group: women aged 18-35 and men aged 18-40, 3rd group: women aged over 36 and men aged over 41, separate group of athletes: Armenian citizens engaged in athletics without age limit. The schoolchildren competed in 2 km cross country running, other age groups in 10 km cross country running. The total number of participants was 1400.

The participants who won the 1st, 2nd and 3rd places in the mentioned groups were awarded with respective certificates, cups, medals of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports. The students who took 1-3 places in the 1st age group were also awarded with computers, and the participants who took 1-20 places in the 2nd, 3rd and separate athlete groups were awarded with monetary prizes. 2 foreign participants from the Russian Federation were also awarded.

The awards were presented by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister Arayik Harutyunyan, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Vahram Dumanyan, Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan, Deputy Minister of Education Karen Giloyan, Armavir Governor Edward Hovhannisyan, Head of Vagharshapat community Diana Gasparyan.

The Prime Minister presented awards to the winners of the 1-3rd places in the men's 18-40 age group, as well as souvenirs and diplomas to the 2 oldest participants, Manya Margaryan and Hakob Tutunjyan, who overcame the entire distance.

Prime Minister Pashinyan made a speech, in which he specifically stated:

"Dear attendees,

This is the second year this tournament take splace, and before coming here I was thinking about what I should say, because times are not ordinary, and it is very important that in these unusual times we are able to organize such unusual tournaments as well. But it is also important that what we say is accurate and adequate, and when I was thinking about what to say, I remembered Hrant Matevosyan's story "Our Run". I read it again - by the way, it's very good that it is available on the Internet - and I noted that although the story was written in a different time and in a different environment, it has not lost its relevance.

The depth and content of the story "Our run" written by Hrant Matevosyan also reflects our today's run. I think it is a story that describes our pains, our tragedies, our goals, and also our determination to achieve our goals. Our goal is a free, powerful and happy Armenia, a sovereign, independent, safe Armenia, and on this path of our walk, our run, we must, despite everything, be more and more resolute. From time to time we will walk, from time to time we will run, from time to time we will stop to think and ponder, but our progress must not and will not be stopped by anything.

I want to specially thanks all the participants who consistently strengthen this idea, this tournament, with their participation. I also consider it very important that every year we clarify the organizational nuances, improve the mechanisms, so that the tournament named "Prime Minister’s Cup" really makes physical culture and sports more and more popular in the Republic of Armenia.

Since the story "Our Run" is about the running of schoolchildren, I would also like to record that the prizes for our school group were significantly less, but we will equalize the prizes of our award winners of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd places of both girls and boys with other groups.

Of course, we see and it is pleasant that non-citizens of the Republic of Armenia, that is, foreign citizens, also participate. I think we should also create such a tournament group with appropriate prize funds.

My dears,

Once again I want to thank all the organizers, all the sponsors, all those who support the organization of our tournament, our Police, other services. I would like to thank the Mayor of Echmiadzin, the municipality, the residents of Echmiadzin for not being upset that the roads are closed for several hours. I think such events bring a new atmosphere and attention to the city, and we also enjoy visiting Etchmiadzin, at least on these occasions.

Thank you again and congratulations to all of you. And I record that our march for the sake of the Republic of Armenia is unstoppable. Thank you".

In total, 5 tournaments have been held within the framework of the "Cup of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia" series in 2022. The amateur cross-country running is the final tournament of the Prime Minister’s Cup series this year.