Almaty Marathon

Course & Elevation

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.