Photo: For the first time, the 100 km Aral Ultra ultramarathon was held in Karakalpakstan
The Aral Ultra international ultramarathon was held in Karakalpakstan. This was the first 100 km running race in the history of Uzbekistan. The route continued through the Ustyurt Plateau to the shores of the Aral Sea. Within the framework of the ultramarathon, excursion running competitions and plogging were also held in the city of Nukus. Photo.
Photo: For the first time, the 100 km Aral Ultra ultramarathon was held in Karakalpakstan
On October 1–3, the Aral Ultra 2026 international ultramarathon, part of the Samarkand Marathon series, took place in Karakalpakstan.
According to the organizer, the Art and Culture Development Foundation, this running competition became the first 100 km ultramarathon in the history of Uzbekistan. The route passed along the Ustyurt Plateau and finished on the shores of the Aral Sea.
A total of 757 people, including athletes from 13 countries, participated in the Aral Ultra marathon. Among the foreign participants were representatives from Russia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Great Britain, South Korea, Tajikistan, Mongolia, Andorra, Serbia, France, Turkey, and Belarus. Women made up 36% of the participants, while men accounted for 64%.
In Nukus, as part of the event, an open program was organized, which included a Kids run for children, a 2 km distance for adults, excursion runs, and plogging.
333 people participated in the 2 km run, and another 94 children took to the start of the Kids run.
The main running competition took place on October 3. Participants were offered distances of 100 km, 50 km, 25 km, and 15 km in a trail running format. All four distances started at different times and finished at a single point on the shore of the Aral Sea.
The 100 km participants started at 04:00, the 50 km at 11:00, the 25 km at 15:00, and the 15 km at 16:30.
A total of 270 participants reached the finish line: 25 people in the 100 km distance, 24 people in the 50 km, 99 people in the 25 km, and 122 people in the 15 km. The athletes had to run against strong winds, and there was light rain in the middle and at the end of the distance.
The organizers noted that the Aral Ultra finish line changes every year along with the Aral Sea. Additionally, the competition is included in the calendar of the International Trail Running Association (ITRA), and participants received points for completing the distances.