14 and 15 June for the fifth time ZAAMIN ULTRA International Ultramarathon
16 June 2025, Tashkent - On 14 and 15 June 2025, ZAAMIN ULTRA International Ultramarathon was held in Zaamin National Nature Park for the fifth time. During 2 days the event gathered more than 3500 participants and guests from 17 countries: Belarus, Great Britain, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Czech Republic, France, Israel, Netherlands, Russia, USA, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Switzerland.
80 athletes confirmed their qualification for the 50K ultramarathon distance for one of the highest altitude running courses in the world. That's 52 more people than in 2024.
More than 1,000 participants have registered for the new 5K distance. The reason for the new race is the fifth anniversary year - many participants have completed the 2K distance before, but are not yet ready to run the 10K in the mountains.
The names of the ZAAMIN ULTRA-2025 winners in the absolutes are available at the link:https://live.myrace.info/?f=bases/kz/2025/zaamin2025/zaamin2025.clax
For the first time, children's races were held at ZAAMIN ULTRA. On the first day of the event, distances of 60, 300, 600 and 1000 metres were available for little athletes. Each child received their participation medal and a gift from the organisers.
"ZAAMIN ULTRA is confidently strengthening its position in the standards of international sporting events that meet modern requirements in terms of organisation and inclusion. We are delighted that the Zaamin National Nature Park Ultramarathon has become a point of attraction for participants from 17 countries and continues to develop as a platform that brings together sport, culture and sustainable practices. We continue to support initiatives that promote and develop the cultural environment through such large-scale events," – Gayane Umerova, Chairperson of the Foundation for the Development of Culture and Art of Uzbekistan.
ZAAMIN ULTRA is part of the ‘Samarkand Marathon’ series, which has been accredited by ‘SheRACES’ since 2025. The main objective is to ensure conditions for creating equal rights and inclusion at sporting events, especially in long distance running. Of the 80 registered athletes for the 50K distance, 8 are women. This is an undeniable increase compared to previous years. At the first ZAAMIN ULTRA there was only one female participant, the first female ultramarathoner in Uzbekistan. In subsequent years, the maximum number of female participants was 4.
The SheRACES guidelines are being carefully adhered to by the organisers, with the ZAAMIN ULTRA marking the first separate appearance of the women's T-shirts.
"ZAAMIN ULTRA is being held for the fifth time, which was an important milestone for us, which gave us the opportunity to offer even more to our participants - new distances, children's races, SheRACES accreditation, expansion of the environmental programme. Over 3500 people came to Zaamin National Nature Park to feel the power - of nature, of their own, of the collective and to be among like-minded people. Thank you all who were with us this year, we continue to grow together with you," – Mirkhan Sagitov, manager of the Special Projects Group of the Foundation for the Development of Culture and Arts of Uzbekistan, curator of the Samarkand Marathon series.
Special attention was paid to the environmental initiative of the Samarkand Marathon series ‘Avvalgidan tozaroq’. A traditional plogging (collecting rubbish during the run) was held on 14 June. The run is free of charge with registration at the venue. Rubbish after the large-scale sporting event was collected and sent for recycling. Organisers encouraged participants to bring their own thermos mugs and thermoses to reduce the amount of plastic at the event, and for participants of the 50K and 21K distances, silicone cups were provided in the start pack for use at the refreshment points. All of these steps help to leave the ultramarathon venue cleaner than it was.
The first day ended with an open-air electronic music concert. DJ ITNI, DJ ISL and Doppi Twin duo took part in it. The incredible atmosphere of the plateau of Zaamin National Nature Park, which was transformed with the onset of darkness and gave the most vivid emotions to thousands of participants and guests of the ultramarathon.
Participants and guests of the ZAAMIN ULTRA ultramarathon also had access to:
· Camping;
· Balloon ride with a panoramic view of the Zaamin National Nature Park;
· A food court area with a variety of breakfasts, hot meals, coffee and pastries.
Organiser:
Uzbekistan Culture and Arts Development Foundation (ACDF)
General partners of the Samarkand Marathon 2025 race series:
· ● Xalq Banki - the first bank in Uzbekistan with a history of over 150 years
· ● xazna - a mobile application for financial management and access to public services
General partners of ZAAMIN ULTRA:
Ministry of Sport of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Khokimiyat of Jizzak region
About Samarkand Marathon Series:
International charity series starting in 2019. Includes; Sky Camp Bo'stonliq, ZAAMIN ULTRA, Bukhara Night Race, Samarkand Marathon. Aimed at inclusion in cultural institutions.
events.samarkandmarathon.uz
About ACDF:
The Foundation is dedicated to preserving cultural heritage, supporting the creative economy, and organising large-scale cultural events including WCCE and international exhibitions.
acdf.uz
Next Samarkand Marathon Series events:
● 13 September - Bukhara Night Race (registration)
● 8-9 November - Samarkand Marathon (registration)