A New Mural Unveiled in Almaty to Mark the 15th Anniversary Almaty Marathon

Less than three weeks before the Almaty Marathon, a mural commemorating the 15^th anniversary of the Central Asia’s largest running event was unveiled at Terrenkur. The artwork is created by the Repas graffiti team.

Terrenkur was chosen as a mural location for a definite reason – this is one of the most popular places in Almaty for running, exercising and active walking. You can find the artwork in the tunnel beneath Al-Farabi Avenue. The mural constitutes part of the Almaty Marathon anniversary campaign and manifests the marathon’s connection with the city.

“Over the past 15 years, Almaty Marathon has become an integral part of life in the city. We wanted this story to become part of the urban landscape through an artwork that captures the energy of the marathon and shows how sport brings people from all walks of life together. This mural is about movement, people and a city that has evolved alongside Almaty Marathon over the years,” said Saltanat Kazybayeva, Executive Director of the Courage to Be the First Corporate Foundation.

The Almaty Marathon will take place on 27 September and will bring together 16,000 runners from more than 60 countries. The run offers a 42.2-km marathon, a 21.1-km half-marathon, a 10-km race and Nordic Walking, as well as the Ekiden team relay. Those wishing to take part can still register for the 42.2-km and 21.1-km distances on thewebsite almaty-marathon.kz.

This year, the organisers have completely renewed all distance courses. Runners will start at Abay Square and finish at Republic Square. For the first time, the marathon will consist of a single loop. This format is used at many major international competitions. The track will pass through central streets and historic part of Almaty. All distances are certified to the World Athletics standards.

Japanese runner Yuki Kawauchi, a winner of the 2018 Boston Marathon and one of Japan’s most famous marathon runners, will be a special guest at the Almaty Marathon. The upcoming run will be his first running event in Central Asia.

The Almaty Marathon has been held since 2012. The first charity run brought together 2,500 people. Over the past 15 years, the number of runners has increased more than six fold, and the marathon itself has become one of the key projects resulting in the development of mass running in Kazakhstan.

A portion of the entry fees is annually donated to social and medical projects. Since 2012, “Courage to be the First” Corporate Fund has implemented more than 30 initiatives with a total value of over KZT 500 million. 

The Almaty Marathon slogan in 2026 is ‘Start Your Legacy’. The organiser is “Courage to be the First” Corporate Fund. The run is arranged with the support of Almaty City Akimat.