8 reasons to run a marathon in Kazakhstan 

We’ve all heard of the Six World Marathon Majors: the iconic Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York races. But aren’t they a bit mainstream? If you prefer something a little more maverick and quirky in your 26.2-miler, there are loads of alternative events out there to get your juices flowing. From the Midnight Sun Marathon in the Arctic Circle to the Lost City Marathon in Mexico, with a little creativity and research, you can easily find 42.2km races in wild, remote, exotic and far-flung lands across the globe.  

Here, in this article, inov-8 ambassador and journalist James Forrest tells us all about his experience running the Almaty Marathon in Kazakhstan, the largest running competition in Central Asia.

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“Eh? You’re running a marathon in...where?”

The confused replies are hilarious whenever I tell anyone about my plans to race the Almaty Marathon in Kazakhstan. No-one really knows where it is, even though it’s the ninth largest country on planet earth. And no-one knows anything about the culture, history or food of the Central Asia republic either, except to do a terrible impression of Borat (“Very Nice!”). 

All of these misconceptions and ignorances are exactly why I want to visit. For me, running isn’t just about fitness and personal bests. It’s a perfect excuse to travel the world, expand horizons and have new experiences – and what better place could there be than Kazakhstan for that?

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Here are 8 reasons why I wanted to run the Almaty Marathon in Kazakhstan, and what I learnt along the way. 

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1. It’s the biggest running festival in all of Central Asia

Back for its 12th year in 2023, with up to 15,000 runners from 50 nationalities competing across five disciplines (10km, Nordic walking, half-marathon, full marathon and team relay), Almaty Marathon is Central Asia’s premier running spectacle. It’s a professionally-organised event with a vibrant atmosphere and an enjoyably-challenging two-lap route, with about 400m of ascent. I absolutely loved the course, the people, the mood of the city – it was genuinely enjoyable. And the sense of joy at crossing the finish line in 3:25 hours will stay with me for a long time.   

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2. A 26.2-mile course for “tears, pain and high-fives” 

According to the slick Instagram videos used by the organisers to promote Almaty Marathon, runners’ motivations fit into one of three categories – the tearful emotion of achieving a goal, the sadistic pleasure of pushing beyond the pain barrier for a PB, or the buzz of high-fiving with the crowds lining the Almaty streets. This rings true and the event can be any or all of these things, depending on your goals. Saltanat Kazybayeva, the race director, also describes the weekend as “a true celebration for all of Kazakhstan” – and it’s impossible to disagree. Race day has a festival-like ambiance, almost as if you can feel the pride, emotion and celebration in the Almaty air. 

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3. You won’t break the bank 

Kazakhstan is a wonderfully affordable country, thanks to a good exchange rate between the Kazakhstani Tenge (KZT) and the Great British Pound (GBP). Marathon entry costs just 12,500 KZT (£21), for example, while general daily costs are excellent value. Using Yandex Go (the Kazakh version of Uber) taxis around the city are ludicrously cheap (£3-£5), while shashlik restaurants are superb value too. An average six-night stay in a double room at the Holiday Inn starts from £436, just £36 per person per night.

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4. It’s only 30 minutes from the airport

No mind-numbingly slow transfers here. You can be horizontal on your hotel bed in just 30 minutes from the airport, which is located a mere 15km from the city centre. Air Astana, the principal airline and flag carrier of the Republic of Kazakhstan, operates five daily flights from London Heathrow to Almaty International Airport, from £540 return.  

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5. Almaty is a cosmopolitan city of wonderful contrasts

Think of Kazakhstan and you might envisage the vast open grasslands of the 800,000km2 Kazakh steppe, inhabited by nomadic peoples and wild horses. But Almaty couldn’t be further from this. It is an oil-rich city, with a CBD of soaring blue-hued skyscrapers, suburbs with a heavy Soviet-era influence, and a constant backdrop of jagged, distant snow-capped mountains. It’s a dizzying mêlée and a delight on the senses. 

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6. There’s bucket-loads of sightseeing to do around the race

It’s a long way to go for just a marathon, so why not visit for a week and combine your race with some sightseeing? With its fabulous food bazaars, dramatic architecture (check out the Zhenkov Ascension Cathedral) and verdant parks, Almaty is an intriguing city to explore. Further afield you can ice skate at the world’s highest rink at Medeu, hike into the snow-capped peaks of the Zailiisky Alatau mountain range from Shymbulak ski resort (Kazakhstan’s premier skiing destination), and even take day trips to nearby Big Almaty Lake and Almarasan Gorge. Whatever you choose, you certainly won’t run out of epic things to do. 

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7. The post-race food is finger-licking good

While the national dish of Kazakhstan is beshbarmak – strips of horse meat served atop a bed of thin pasta sheets – the most indulgent option for a post-race feast is undoubtedly shashlik. Almaty has hundreds of shashlik restaurants serving up eye-wateringly tasty skewered meats, grilled over open flames. They’re incredible value too. 

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8. You can wallow in the post-race glory at the amazing public spa

This is post-run indulgence at its finest. Head to the Arasan Baths (about 7000KZT/£12 per day) – a sprawling complex of saunas, steam rooms and icy plunge pools, housed in an opulent masterpiece of Soviet era architecture – for some hot’n’cold therapy for your achy muscles. You can soak in the Turkish hammam, sweat in the Finnish sauna, chat away in the Russian steam room or – for the truly authentic Kazakh experience - purchase a ‘broom’ (a bunch of birch or linden leaves) to self-massage your weary body.

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Pictured: James at the finish line

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And for more inspirational tips to become stronger, better and happier, then check out our Motivation category. Because it’s no fun standing still.