ASTANA, Kazakhstan, July 19. Kazakhstan's Almaty will host the thirteenth edition of the Almaty Marathon on September 29, the largest running event in Central Asia, which has become a catalyst for change in the region, Trend reports.
The Marathon has instilled a love of running in the people of Kazakhstan, and has also had a tangible impact on the economy and the wider social sphere in Almaty and the entire region.
In 2012, Kazakhstani entrepreneur Galimzhan Yessenov founded the "Courage to be First" corporate foundation. The foundation has now held more than 100 events attended by more than 200,000 people from all over the world. The flagship project of the Foundation –the Almaty Marathon - has become an important driver of Almaty's economic development, attracting tourists to the city and stimulating the growth of local businesses.
The marathon raised a record $143,000 last year. Every year, a
part of the registration fee charged to take part is allocated to
children with special needs. Over 12 years, the foundation's team
has implemented more than 30 charitable initiatives worth over
$610,000 and encouraged over 3,000 children in to sport.
Almaty has also seen a wider economic impact due to the annual
marathon. Companies partnering with the marathon contributed $1.8
million in taxes last year, three times more than in 2019. The
impact of the marathon on the city's economy was documented in the
Foundation's 2023 impact survey.
The Foundation found that almost half (46 percent) of c. 1,000
Almaty Marathon participants surveyed made purchases during the
two-day event. The total amount of their spending amounted to
$16,800 (7.9 million tenge). The increase in the number of
participants, including international participants, stimulates the
growth of service providers' income and, in general, contributes to
the development of the local tourism industry.
The impact of the Almaty Marathon on the local economy has already
been noted by the majority of participants. 56 percent of
respondents from the 2023 report noted that the Almaty Marathon has
contributed to infrastructure development, increased tourism and
raised awareness of local businesses.
The Almaty Marathon course is set against the stunning panorama of the Zailiyskiy Alatau Mountains. The marathon is a qualifying event of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, which gives participants the opportunity not only to run the distance, but also to explore one of the most underappreciated parts of Central Asia.