At the feet of snowed mountains: the Almaty Half Marathon

Almaty Half Marathon. 29th September 2024.

We ran the largest sport event in Central Asia: a tough half marathon, with 700m altitude and uphill the first 7 kilometers, but with the stunning background of the peaks of the Thian Shan mountain.

TLDR; “too long, didn’t read”

• I just want to run! Take me to RACE.
• I have 1 minute. Take me to USEFUL INFORMATION.
• Running is my excuse for travelling. Take me to TRIP.
• Running is my excuse for eating. Take me to CARBOLOADING.
• I want to know what to read in the plane. Take me to ONE BOOK.

🌍 The trip 📷: What to see in Almaty in a couple of days

Almaty was the capital of Kazakhstan until 1997 and remains the country’s largest city and cultural hub.

Its rich history as a major stop on the Silk Road and a Soviet-era city blends Eastern and Western influences, creating a unique cultural atmosphere.

However, what I found the most impressive, though, is the scenery in the background.

We already saw it in the plane, and I was mesmerised: the Tian Shan mountains appeared snowed and magnificent, even more so with the city at their feet:

Walking around the city

Later, when we were walking around the streets, I liked the fact the mountains were always in the background… and the colours of autumn (the dark greens, the yellows, the browns…) making every corner of the city special.

The city appeared to us as clean, wide (with a lot of traffic!), safe and modern.

Everywhere there were wide avenues with tall trees and flowers, highscrappers and soviet-looking buildings, the majority of them in better shape than in other parts of Central Asia.

Republic Square and Palace

In our way to the Marathon Expo, we passed by the Republic Square, where the all the races the day after would start and finish.

In fact, we saw the preparations:

Republic Square is not only important for that 😝. It has played a central role in Kazakhstan’s modern history, being the site of numerous important events, including independence celebrations and political demonstrations.

Most notably, in 1986, the square was the focal point of the Jeltoqsan protests, where students demonstrated against Soviet rule. These protests are seen as one of the early sparks of Kazakhstan’s eventual independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

The Presidential Palace, also known as the Ak Orda or Almaty Presidential Residence, is a symbol of Kazakhstan’s government and political history. Though the official residence of the president moved to the capital city, Nur-Sultan (Astana), the Almaty palace remains a significant site where many key decisions were made during Kazakhstan’s early years of independence.

Kok Tobe

The following date, we took the cable car to go up Kok Tobe.

The cable car is already an attraction in itself, as you can see the city and the mountains – funnily enough, we saw even the start and finish lane of the marathon.

Kok Tobe is located at an elevation of 1,100 meters above sea level, offering breathtaking views of Almaty city and the surrounding mountains.

There is an amusement park in the peak, but the “highlight” is definitely the view!

We also saw things we did not expect, like a bronze sculpture of The Beatles. It’s the only monument to the band in Central Asia, making it a special spot for music fans and a popular place to take photos, or a mini zoo with llamas!

📅 The Marathon Expo 🎽

Getting there

The Marathon Expo was located in the “Central Stadium”, around 2 kms away from Republic Square, where the races would start and finish.

Since it was a clear day, bright and full of optimism, we decided to walk.

The streets of Almaty in that area have very wide streets and it is a delight to walk in there, with the fallen leaves of the trees painting the pavement with yellow.

However, watch out for other yellow things! Yellow scooters are everywhere, and they are fast!

The Expo itself

The Marathon Expo was large and full of shops, sport articles and information; in the middle of a field of artificial grass.

Funnily enough, some people were doing push ups in there -?!

When picking up your kit, you have to sign up an authorisation form. There were a lot of people queuing and we struggled to find forms in English (most were in Kazakh or Russian), but finally we managed it.

Then we picked up our bags and our shirts: we had opted for long sleeves, which, given the temperature (it was chilly!) looked like a very good option.

There were also stands where you could take “funny” pictures, like this one I took with massive running shoes 😂!

The “goodies” bag

When we got to our hotel, we looked at what the “goodies bags” contained, and we were surprised.

All kind of things! We found protein bars, sleeping pills, nescafe, massage oil, hand soap, vitamins, wipes, toothpaste… and even laundry detergent…😮

In fact, we decided to check in our luggage (which we barely do) to bring home a “hand soap” bottle which was 300mm.

🏃‍♀️ The race 🏃‍♂️

The races started early. Very early! The marathon started at 6:30 and our Half Marathon, at 6:40.

When we woke up, while I was streching in the hotel (btw, an hotel very popular with local weddings, it was so noisy!), Roger looked at the temperature: 3C. Opps 😕

So we dressed warmly – see this page in this blog for more information on how to dress for cold climates!

We left the hotel later than we usually do, and we miscalculated the distance, so we had to rush. We walked there as it was only 1km away.

Before the start – a picture that costed me a glove!

When we were approaching the start area, we heard that the marathon runners were starting. So I stayed in the sidewalk to take a picture of the first marathoners.

And, sadly, I lost one of my gloves while taking the picture 😫

When I realised, I came back to try to find it, didn’t find it and then we were late!

We had to rush even more and we were the last ones to start! Literally. The streets were covered with papers and were quite slippery, but the atmosphere was great!

First 7 kilometers: Uphill

The first 7 kilometers were ran in very wide avenues, but uphill. Not easy!

As Roger said… “this is like running in the Ronda de Dalt de Barcelona”! One thing we didn’t like was that you run all the time next to the traffic in the other direction, and we had to move away from there as we were breathing carbon dioxide 😫

However, the beauty of the Tien Shan mountains, with their peaks snowed, was breathtaking. It was worth runing uphill, definitely.

The rest of the race

The rest is not so difficult: it is mostly flat. A good thing that there were water stations very frequently: every 3-4 kms.

Local youngsters were shouting “Water, water!” with a very distinctive accent. Later, they were giving wipes, coke and energy drinks. And bananas, and bottles of water!

I got a botlle of water at the station in km 17, and drank it until kilometer 20!

There was also some animation, bands of 3 to 7 locals dressed in red, playing the drums, the saxo, the guitar… they played movie sountracks: from the famous “Eye of the tiger” to “Pirates of the Caribbean“.

The last kilometers

I saw runners with the flag of Kyrgyzstan, and a woman from a Tajikistan running club. After a few days in Central Asia, we recognised the flags and the places.

Roger was not feeling very well, having been sick the last days, and decided to decrease the pace and walk for a few meters at kilometer 16.

Also, there was a big contrast amongst the female runners: women with the hiqab and long skirts, and others with shorts very, very short!

I went on, picking up the pace a little, but not much: I was also not feeling great. 14 days of touring Central Asia and stomach problems took their toll.

A speaker was shouting “Welcome to Kazakhastan!” very loudly. Runners of the 10k were arriving at the same time than the Half Marathon ones and there were a lot of runners and animation everywhere!

The arrival

I passed by the winner, who was waiting to be interviewed, and waited for Roger. He arrived a few minutes later and we got our medals together.

Good medals: for all categories. The Half Marathon were blue, like our BIBs, the nordic walk were yellow, the 10k were black and the marathon ones, red. Very well organised.

We were given also a bottle of water, a “snatch” bar which I loved! (very similar to a sneakers, with peanuts, caramel and chocolate) and an apple.

Tired, we took some pictures in front of the Palace of the Republic and the runners that were still arriving, and we headed to the hotel.

🍜 Carboloading 🍝: What to eat in Almaty if you are a runner

In Almaty, the cuisine reflects a rich blend of Kazakh traditions and regional influences.

One of the traditional dishes is Pilaf (Plov), which we had already tasted in Uzbekistan. In fact, we attended a “masterclass” in which we learnt to cook it with a local woman!

A staple in Central Asian cuisine, pilaf is a rice dish cooked with meat (such as lamb or beef), vegetables, and spices. The rice provides a substantial carbohydrate component:

On the day before the marathon, though, we opted for the classical carboloading: pasta!

We found a restaurant with good reviews which was called “Mamma mia“, and I recommend it. We later learnt it was part of the chain, so there are many restaurants (pasta and pizza) in Almaty.

The food was good and, in fact, there were plenty of runners in there!

🏆 Almaty Marathon (42.2km), Half Marathon (21.1km), 10k and Nordic Walking! (10k)

🌐 Website: https://www.almaty-marathon.kz/ru/

🏃 Number of runners: 15,000.

🗓️ Almaty, in Kazahastan. Late September / beginning of October.

👟 Urban: bring shoes for asphalt.

✅ A well organized marathon with many water stations, not too crowded and ran entirely in wide avenues

✅ Beautiful scenery all the run: the snowed mountains in the background.

“The Nomads” (Volume I of the “Kazakh Trilogy”) by Ilyas Esenberlin

This historical novel is a part of the “Kazakh Trilogy” and explores the history of Kazakhstan, focusing on the formation of the Kazakh Khanate and the life of its people. It provides a vivid depiction of Kazakh culture and history.

The trilogy is acclaimed for its portrayal of Kazakh history and the formation of the Kazakh Khanate. This first book covers the period of the 15th century, focusing on the struggle for independence and the unification of various Kazakh tribes.