Samarkand Marathon will take place on November 7–8 in Samarkand
In Samarkand, the Samarkand Marathon series will take place in November. The program will include 2 km, 5 km, 10 km, 21.1 km, and 42.2 km races, children's and inclusive runs, as well as environmental events. Runners from more than 60 countries around the world are expected to participate.
Samarkand Marathon to Take Place on November 7–8 in Samarkand
On November 7–8, Samarkand will host the Samarkand Marathon Series 2026, the press service of the Art and Culture Development Foundation of Uzbekistan reported.
The series will open with the Samarkand Marathon Expo, followed the next day by 2 km and 5 km races, a 2 km Nordic walking distance, an inclusive race, and a Kids Run for children.
Participants in the main marathon will run 42.2 km, the half marathon — 21.1 km, and also take on the 10 km distance.
The start is scheduled at Registan Square. Runners will pass by iconic landmarks of the historic city.
As part of the Samarkand Marathon series, the organizers will launch an environmental program called "Avvalgidan tozaroq" ("Cleaner than before"). It foresees reducing plastic consumption, switching to reusable materials, introducing separate waste collection and recycling, as well as an emphasis on environmental education of participants using an eco-points system.
One of the program's directions will be plogging, in which participants will combine running with trash collection. The campaign will take place for the third time.
During the days of the sporting event, the Samarkand Marathon lecture series, morning running tours of Samarkand, and an evening concert are also planned.
By tradition, the marathon will be charitable. The collected funds will be directed toward the construction of children's sports grounds in the regions where the series' races take place.
As Mirkhan Sagitov, head of the marathon implementation department and curator of the Samarkand Marathon series, said, interest in the event from abroad has grown this year. More than one and a half thousand participants from 63 countries have registered.
"For us, this is confirmation that the marathon is becoming increasingly recognized outside Uzbekistan and attracts runners who want not only to take part in the competition, but also to get acquainted with the rich cultural heritage of Samarkand," he noted.
The organizers plan to develop the Samarkand Marathon as an international sporting event, including making Samarkand the leading marathon destination in Central Asia.
The Samarkand Marathon series unites the marathon of the same name, the Bukhara Night Race, Sky Camp Bo’stonliq, Zaamin Ultra, and Aral Ultra.