“The Road to Turkistan”: a new documentary by Almaty Marathon and Kanat Beissekeyev

The premiere of the film “The Road to Turkistan” took place in Almaty. Exploring the impact of the Turkistan Marathon, a running event in Turkic ethno-style, the film introduces the phenomenon of running tourism and the transformation of cities through sports events. The film was directed by Kanat Beissekeyev in collaboration with “Courage to be the First” Corporate Fund, an organiser of the largest running event in Central Asia that is the Almaty Marathon.

Running has so captivated people in Kazakhstan that today they run everywhere — from small villages to mid-sized towns and megacities. We see the same situation in Turkistan, the most ancient city of Kazakhstan with a rich cultural heritage, which becomes very popular every year during the autumn Turkistan Marathon. The marathon is organised by “Courage to be the First” Corporate Fund that is the organiser of the largest running event in Central Asia — the Almaty Marathon. On marathon day, the historical city transforms with thousands of runners and spectators arriving from all corners of Kazakhstan and from other countries.

At the heart of the film story is a group of runners who have embarked on a journey with the ultimate goal of running the marathon. Each of them has a unique story of true strength — dream, overcome, never give up. Running has become a path that unites very different people and is capable of changing their destinies. At the same time, we see how Turkistan prepares to welcome tourist-runners, how the fund expands to new cities and even to new countries thanks to the TAN Association. Running is becoming a common language, and the reasons not to run are disappearing.

Galimzhan Yessenov, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at “Courage to be the First” Corporate Fund “The Road to Turkistan” explores the way the Turkistan Marathon not only brings people to the city but also has a powerful economic impact, helping local entrepreneurs, stimulating tourism and creating a new wave of interest in tourism within the country. The new film introduces organisers, residents, and runners and shows how sport can transform the urban environment and people."