On Sunday, September 27, Almaty will host its marathon for the fifteenth time — the anniversary race will bring together more than 16,000 participants from 60 countries, with the main route running along Abay Avenue and through the city center, infohub.kz reports.
Saltanat Kazybayevа, executive director of the corporate fund "Courage to Be First," announced this at a briefing at the regional communications service. According to her, the event turns 15 this year.
"What's new is that all our routes have been completely updated. The marathon will now be run in a single loop, with the marathon distance of 42 km through the center of Almaty. We also have 21 km, 10 km, and the ekiden distance — a corporate relay for several participants. Our courses are, of course, certified. We are part of the International Association of Marathons and Races. More than 1,500 foreign participants are coming. Of the total number of participants, around 14-15% are regional runners coming from all over Kazakhstan," NUR.KZ correspondent quotes her as saying.
Kazybayeva added that the start will be located at Abay Square, and the route will run mainly along Abay Avenue and through the city center. The finish will be at Republic Square.
The main start will take place at 6:00. Streets in the city will be partially closed and reopened.