The fifth anniversary Astana Half Marathon brought together 7,000 participants and set a record for the number of foreign athletes in the race's history. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Sputnik Kazakhstan.
This year, 243 foreign runners from over 30 countries took to the course. The largest number of foreign participants came from Russia – 91 people, Uzbekistan – 28, and the USA – 17. Also participating were 15 from China, 14 from Kyrgyzstan, 11 from France, 6 from South Korea, 6 from the UK, 5 from Poland, and 5 from Germany.
The race's geography covered countries in Asia, Europe, North and South America, Africa, the Middle East, and Oceania. The route started from Independence Square, passed through the "Arkar" and "Syganak – Mangilik El" bridges, and included the Akorda residence, the Ishim River embankment, the Baiterek monument, the Abu Dhabi Plaza complex, and the EXPO area. This route allowed city guests not only to participate in the sporting event but also to get acquainted with Astana's modern architecture and landmarks.
"Every year, the Astana Half Marathon increases the number of participants from different countries. This indicates the growing international status of the race and the strengthening of Astana's position on the global running map. The Astana Half Marathon is a member of the International Association of Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS), and its courses are certified according to World Athletics standards. This ensures the accuracy of the distance and the fairness of results. Therefore, many experienced runners choose the race in Astana to update their personal records. The Astana Half Marathon is an opportunity for the capital to present itself not only as an administrative center to thousands of participants and guests but also as a modern, active, and open city," said Galymzhan Yessenov, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the corporate fund "Being First is Courage."
Alongside the sports program, the organizers continued to develop environmental initiatives. As part of the nationwide "Taza Kazakhstan" campaign, separate waste collection points and interactive eco-zones for participants and guests operated along the race route and in the start-finish area. In partnership with EcoNetwork, all collected recyclables are sent for processing. One of the main environmental innovations of the Astana Half Marathon was disposable cups made of 100% recyclable plastic with PET 1 marking. They were used at all refreshment points and were collected by eco-volunteers after the race for recycling. According to the organizers, this practice was introduced for the first time in Kazakhstan at mass running events.