Tourism Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan

The event will open with the Samarkand Marathon Expo. A day later, 2 km and 5 km races, a 2 km Nordic walk, an inclusive run and the Kids Run competitions for children will be held.

Participants in the main marathon will cover 42.2 km and half-marathon participants 21.1 km. A 10 km race will also be held.

The start will be at Registan Square. Participants will run past the landmarks of the historic city.

As part of the Samarkand Marathon series, the organizers are launching the “Cleaner Than Before” environmental program. The program will focus on reducing plastic use, switching to reusable materials, introducing separate waste collection and recycling, and raising participants’ environmental awareness through an eco-points system.

One of the program’s areas is plogging, in which participants combine running with picking up litter. This campaign is being held for the third time.

On the days of the sporting event, Samarkand Marathon talks, morning running tours of the city and an evening concert are planned.

By tradition, the marathon will be a charity event. The funds raised will go toward building children’s sports playgrounds in the regions where the series’ races are held.

According to Mirkhan Sagitov, curator of the Samarkand Marathon series and head of the marathon organization department, interest in the event from abroad has grown this year. More than 1,500 participants from 63 countries have registered.

“For us, this confirms that the marathon is becoming increasingly well known beyond Uzbekistan and is attracting runners who want not only to compete but also to get to know Samarkand’s rich cultural heritage,” he said.

The organizers aim to develop the Samarkand Marathon as an international sporting event, including turning Samarkand into Central Asia’s leading marathon destination.

The Samarkand Marathon series brings together the marathon of the same name, Bukhara Night Race, Sky Camp Bostanliq, Zaamin Ultra and Aral Ultra.