Republican half marathon Unity Run promotes healthy lifestyle, strengthens national values in Kazakhstan
In the spirit of national unity and the importance of a healthy lifestyle, the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan, together with the Ministry of Culture and Information, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Astana Triathlon Federation and the akimat of Astana, organized a republican half-marathon called Unity Run, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports citing the Ministry of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan.
The event, dedicated to the Day of Unity of the People of Kazakhstan, brought together participants from various spheres of society, including deputies of Parliament, representatives of government bodies, republican ethnocultural associations, youth and volunteer organizations, sports federations, running clubs, as well as residents and guests of the capital.
About 2,000 people took part in the race, after which they supported the campaign Taza Qazaqstan, removing garbage in the area of the EXPO complex, akimat of Astana reports. Alongside amateur participants, the deputy mayor of Astana, Eset Baiken, the deputy Chairman of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan, Marat Azylkhanov, and the head of the Department of Physical Culture and Sports of Astana, Vasiliy Levit, also took part in the competition.
The Unity Run started simultaneously in 15 regions of the country with about 10 thousand participants who want to support a healthy lifestyle. Participants competed in the 21, 10 and 5 km distances, while the smallest athletes ages 6 to 17 took part in the 1 km run. The marathon passed through various landmarks of the city, and the winners were awarded special prizes and medals.
President of the Astana Triathlon Federation, Evgeniy Bolgert, emphasized the importance of the event: “Today, in order to promote a healthy lifestyle, about 1,500 participants from adults and about 300 children gathered in the capital. At last year's competitions there were distances of 500 meters, 2.5, 5 kilometers and only 250 athletes took part in them. Now, as you can see, in 1 year the number of participants has increased 6-7 times, distances of 10 and 21 kilometers have been added. In addition to adults, children 6-17 years old run 1 kilometer. This is a good tradition. Because a small child does what he sees, and not what his parents say. Another good news is that today's track is recognized by the International Athletics Federation. That is, with this indicator you will be able to compete in another major international marathon. Let's not stop there. Next year we want to introduce a full 42.1 km", he said to the akimat’s press service.
On April 28, the spring athletics Unity Race also took place in the Central Park of Culture and Recreation in Karaganda. Members of the regional ANC and city residents-athletes took part in a distance of 1000 meters. The organizers noted that the goal of the event is to unite the country's various ethnic groups around sports and a healthy lifestyle. Ministry of Culture and Information highlighted to Kazinform News Agency that the marathon takes place annually and it connects all the regions of Kazakhstan.
