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The Almaty Marathon is the largest running event in Central Asia, held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on a Sunday in late September. It is organised by the corporate foundation 'Courage to Be the First' with the support of the city administration, and has been run since 2012. A half marathon, a 10 km, Nordic walking over 10 km and a six-person Ekiden relay are held alongside the marathon. For the 15th edition in 2026 all routes were redesigned for the first time since 2018. The marathon was run as a single lap that starts on Abay Square and finishes on Republic Square, with the second half covering the central streets and the historic part of the city. The route followed Abay Avenue to Momyshuly Street and back, then Dostyk Avenue and the streets Bogenbay Batyr, Kabanbay Batyr, Shevchenko, Kurmangazy, Nauryzbay Batyr and Satpayev. The organisers cut the elevation gain from 550 to 300 metres and removed long climbs and an uphill start. The marathon started at 7:30 a.m. Almaty Marathon belongs to AIMS, and its courses are certified to World Athletics standards. Part of the entry fees supports children with special needs.
Typical climate for the race month — an estimate, not a forecast or a race-day record
Late September in Almaty is pleasant: average highs are around 25 °C and lows around 12 °C, with little rain, on about three days of the month, and a dry climate.
The Race
Almaty
Almaty Marathon has been held since 2012. The first start was a charity race called 'Courage to Be the First', which brought together 2,500 participants. Since then the event has grown into the largest running event in Central Asia, and money from entry fees has gone to charitable projects.
For the 15th edition in 2026, the organisers fully redesigned the routes of all distances for the first time since 2018. The marathon became a single lap through the central and historic parts of the city, from Abay Square to Republic Square, and the elevation gain was cut from 550 to 300 metres. The race drew 16,000 participants from 66 countries.
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