Almaty hosted its autumn Almaty Marathon over the weekend: for the first time in 15 years, organizers changed the route and closed more streets than usual for the race, infohub.kz reports.
On the morning of Sunday, September 27, 16,000 athletes and amateurs ran through the city streets. Of those, 1,500 came to Almaty from other countries. As is traditional at running competitions, some marathon participants took to the course in original costumes.
A fairy was spotted on the 10 km distance.
An 'office worker' drew a lot of attention. On social media, the young man joked that he was rushing to a job interview.
Also impossible to miss was a group of five people: they all wore identical wheel costumes.
As before, some Almaty residents write negative comments on social media after the marathon. Yet for 15 years, road closures and the route have been announced a month in advance. At the same time, the sporting event attracts tourists to the city — and therefore money, as well as good cheer.
Earlier, Kursiv LifeStyle wrote that a new mural dedicated to the Almaty Marathon appeared on the health trail. It was painted in the tunnel under Al-Farabi Avenue.