Ravil Iskhakovich Kashapov, мсмк (; born 15 November 1956) is a Russian ultramarathon and former marathon runner. He represented the Soviet Union at the 1987 World Championships and 1988 Summer Olympics.

He is currently an assistant professor at Kama State Institute of Physical Culture, as well as vice-president of the Tatarstan Athletics Federation. He was named a Master of Sport of the USSR, International Class.

Early life Kashapov was born on November 15, 1956, in the town of Bolgar, Spassky District, Republic of Tatarstan in Soviet Russia. He graduated from Kazan Federal University in the Volga region in 1979 with a degree in biochemistry. In his third year at the university, at 22 years old, he started training in athletics. His first coach was Hanif Mubarakzyanovich Murtazin, an Honoured Worker of Physical Culture of the Russian Federation, who convinced him to train as a runner after seeing him messing around with friends.

In 1981, he began competing at professional athletics events. That same year, he also began his career as a sports medicine professor at various universities across the country.

Career Kashapov began running marathons in 1986. In 1987, he won the gold medal at the Soviet Union Championships, thus qualifying for the 1987 World Championships in Rome, where he finished 8th, and the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. He was the only Soviet man who competed in the Olympic marathon that year, finishing in 10th place. Also that year, Kashapov won gold at the 1988 European Marathon Cup in Huy, Belgium

He started the following year with a rare appearance at the 1989 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, finishing 74th in the long race (12 km). In April, he ran a personal best 2:11:07 time to finish fourth at the 1989 World Marathon Cup in Milan. Six months later, he finished second in the Chicago Marathon, losing to Englishman Paul Davies-Hale by just under two minutes. For the second straight year, he finished second at the Fukuoka Marathon in December. In addition, he competed at two IAAF events, the World Cup (4th in the marathon) and Golden Gala.

1990 was his last year competing at the world-class level, finishing 20th at the European Athletics Championships marathon event in Split.

From 1991 to 1997, Kashapov ran in various city marathons around the world, as well as occasional shorter races, with moderate success. Running out of Tampa, he finished 6th at the 1991 Houston Marathon and 3rd at the 1992 Pittsburgh Marathon.

In the late 1990s, he started running ultramarathons, races ranging from 50 to 100 kilometres. His greatest success came in 1998, when he won first place at the Russian 100 km Championships in Moscow, 3rd in the IAU World 100 km Championships in Kochi, Japan, and 5th in the annual Comrades Marathon (87 km). He was the over 45 age category winner in each one.

Competition record Representing the 1986Goodwill GamesMoscow, Soviet Union4thMarathon2:17:101987World Championships Rome, Italy8thMarathon2:14:411988Summer Olympics Seoul, South Korea10thMarathon2:13:49European Marathon CupHuy, Belgium1stMarathon2:11:301989World Cross Country Championships Stavanger, Norway74th12 km42:30World Marathon CupMilan, Italy4thMarathon2:11:07European CupGateshead, England6th10,000 metres29:32.47IAAF World CupBarcelona, Spain4thMarathon2:11:07IAAF Golden GalaPescara, Italy9th5,000 metres13:37.261990European ChampionshipsSplit, Yugoslavia20thMarathon2:28:49Representing 1998World 100 km ChampionshipsKochi, Japan 3rd100 km6:36:332001European 100 km ChampionshipsWinschoten, Netherlands7th100 km7:03:272002World 100 km ChampionshipsTorhout, Belgium12th100 km6:57:20European 100 km ChampionshipsWinschoten, Netherlands9th100 km6:57:392003World 100 km ChampionshipsTaipei, Taiwan20th100 km8:08:32European 100 km ChampionshipsChernogolovka, Russia26th100 km7:22:332004World 100 km ChampionshipsWinschoten, Netherlands52nd100 km6:30:00

Other events Representing the 1982Znamenskiy Brothers MemorialMoscow, Soviet Union6th10,000 metres28:18.401986Soviet ChampionshipsKiev, Soviet Union4th10,000 metres28:39.501987Uzhhorod MarathonUzhhorod, Soviet Union5thMarathon2:13:12Soviet ChampionshipsBryansk, Soviet Union2nd10,000 metres28:41.94Soviet Union ChampionshipsMogilyev, Soviet Union1stMarathon2:12:431988Fukuoka MarathonFukuoka, Japan2ndMarathon2:11:19Soviet ChampionshipsKiev, Soviet Union7th5,000 metres13:46.13Brothers Znamensky MemorialLeningrad, Soviet Union2nd10,000 metres27:56.75Memorial Van DammeBrussels, Belgium15th10,000 metres28:29.401989Chicago MarathonChicago, Illinois, USA2ndMarathon2:13:19Fukuoka MarathonFukuoka, Japan2ndMarathon2:12:541990Fukuoka MarathonFukuoka, Japan4thMarathon2:14:27London MarathonLondon, England50thMarathon2:18:35Brothers Znamensky MemorialMoscow, Soviet Union6th10,000 metres28:32.63Representing 1991Houston MarathonHouston, Texas, USA6thMarathon2:14:56London MarathonLondon, England126thMarathon2:21:52Red Lobster ClassicOrlando, Florida, USA30th10 km road31:19Jacksonville River RunJacksonville, Florida, USA30th15 km47:25Limerick Treaty 300 International CrosscountryLimerick, Ireland35th8.75 km28:241992Pittsburgh MarathonPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA 3rdMarathon2:19:11Lake Biwa MarathonŌtsu, Japan9thMarathon2:15:56Gold Coast MarathonGold Coast, Australia9thMarathon2:19:15ADT BermudaHamilton, Bermuda17th10 km34:011996Istanbul MarathonIstanbul, Turkey8thMarathon2:25:25Belgrade MarathonBelgrade, Serbia26thMarathon2:27:59Siberian International MarathonOmsk, Russia10thMarathon2:26:18Vratskiy Kholmy MarathonKirov, Russia1stMarathon2:19:111997Twin Cities MarathonMinneapolis, Minnesota, USA14thMarathon2:23:10Siberian International MarathonOmsk, Russia7thMarathon2:19:361998Russian 100 km ChampionshipsMoscow, Russia1st100 km6:33:46Comrades MarathonDurban, South Africa5th87 km5:37:261999Comrades MarathonPietermaritzburg, South Africa23rd89 km6:01:02Siberian International MarathonOmsk, Russia15thMarathon2:25:24RABO-Interpolis RUN te WinschotenWinschoten, Netherlands10th100 km6:33:172000Comrades MarathonDurban, South Africa30th87 km6:08:11Moscow International Peace MarathonMoscow, Russia7thMarathon2:27:332001Russian 100 km ChampionshipsChernogolovka, Russia9th100 km7:08:24Moscow Luzhniki MarathonMoscow, Russia4thMarathon2:31:27RABO-Interpolis RUN te WinschotenWinschoten, Netherlands7th100 km7:03:272002Pedestres Villa de Madrid 100 kmMadrid, Spain6th100 km7:13:042005Russian 15 km Road ChampionshipsMoscow, Russia41st15 km52:142010Chelyabinsk Self-Transcendence 50 kmChelyabinsk, Russia7th50 km4:27:492011Chelyabinsk Self-Transcendence 50 kmChelyabinsk, Russia10th50 km4:34:49

Personal bests Outdoor 5000 metres – 13:37.26 (Pescara, 1989) 10,000 metres – 27:56.75 (Leningrad, 1988) 10 km road – 31:19 (Orlando, 1991) Marathon – 2:11:07 (Milan, 1989) 100 km road – 6:33:05 (Winschoten, 1999)

Personal He has two sons, Renat and Ruslan, who both run competitively as well.

References

External links

Ravil Kashapov profile at Sports-Reference.com Ravil Kashapov profile at All-Athletics.com Ravil Kashapov profile at Ultramarathon Database Ravil Kashapov profile at Association of Road Running Statisticians Ravil Kashapov profile at Probeg.org