The SCO marathons, held on the initiative of the international organization since 2016, have become an integral part of cultural and humanitarian cooperation between the SCO member states. Sports events attract more and more interest from the international community every year. The universal values of mass sports, such as ensuring equality between people representing a diversity of cultures, nationalities and civilizations, strengthening cooperation between countries for the benefit of peace and striving for sustainable and harmonious development, fully reflect the spirit and basic principles of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
In 2019, within the framework of the Bishkek SCO Summit, the participants signed a cooperation agreement aimed at popularizing sports and physical culture among the population in the SCO space, encouraging professional athletes to participate in international competitions and creating favorable conditions for the development of Olympic, Paralympic and national sports.
The high level of preparation for the SCO sports events attracts not only a large number of running enthusiasts from different countries, but also professional athletes of the Olympic level. The SCO marathons are included in the World Athletics (International Association of Athletics Federations) competition calendar, as a lot of work is being done at each stage to prepare the event in accordance with the rules of the international association, starting from anti-doping control and up to the quality of the marathon track coverage.
The Athletics Federation of the Republic of Uzbekistan has extensive experience in organizing high-level sports races. The international marathon "Navruz", held on the eve of the spring holiday, sports races in the cities of Uzbekistan "Save Aral" and "Aral marathon" have already become traditional.
The track for the upcoming Tashkent International SCO Half Marathon in 2021 received the certificate of the Association of International Marathons and Races (AIMS). In the future, this will allow the capital marathon to qualify for the World Athletics Label status from World Athletics. The program of the sports event includes two distances: 3 km, and a half marathon (21 km 97.5 m). Not only runners from 12 SCO member states, but also participants from other countries of the world can take part in the sports race.
The route of the Tashkent International SCO Half Marathon will pass through the central streets, which will allow participants of the race and guests of the capital to demonstrate new modern architectural complexes and the cultural and historical part of the city.
Athletes from Uzbekistan are regular participants of the SCO marathons. Last year, Uzbek athletes Shokhrukh Davlatov and Azizakhon Mirzoakbarova took the first places in the Dushanbe International Half Marathon dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the SCO.
Deputy Chairman of the Athletics Federation Andrey Abduvaliev noted that in Uzbekistan in recent years, more and more citizens have become active participants in mass sports events. Holding a sports marathon under the auspices of the SCO will increase the rating of Uzbekistan in the world of big sports and will serve as an additional incentive for domestic athletes to perform at the international level of training and meet on the same track with outstanding athletes from other countries.
You can register for the half marathon by following the link to the official website of the half marathon: International Tashkent SCO Half Marathon 2022.
