Samarkand Marathon Series, Uzbekistan: A SheRACES case study
- SheRACES
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
SheRACES has accredited events all over the world, and we’re proud to include the Samarkand Marathon Series in Uzbekistan.
The Samarkand Marathon Series is a series of charity races held across the country, organised by the Uzbekistan Art & Culture Development Foundation. This includes:
Sky Camp – a 20K trail run (ITRA-certified) and sky-running race heldin the mountains of the Tashkent Region.
ZAAMIN ULTRA – a 50K road ultramarathon in Zaamin National Park.
BUKHARA NIGHT RACE – a half-marathon held after sunset in the historiccentre of Bukhara.
Samarkand Marathon – the flagship event. The marathon is AIMS-certified and an Abbott World Marathon Majors qualifying race. It is also a founding member of the Turkic Alliance of Long Runs (TAN). As well as the marathon distance, there is a half-marathon, 10km, 5km and 2km races, as well as Scandinavian walking and children's races.
The team at Samarkand Marathon Series were already doing incredible work in supporting female participants at their events. They were committed to equal prizes for male and female winners and showcased inclusive and diverse imagery in all their communications.
In May 2025, Samarkand Marathon Series became SheRACES accredited to highlight its ongoing work to support female athletes in Uzbekistan. Since then, they have introduced, and plan to maintain, additional measures based on our core race guidelines, including:
Separate female toilets and access to free period products both at the venue and along the course
Entry fee refunds in cases of pregnancy
Gender-specific race t-shirts
More inclusive cut-offs
At the 2025 Samarkand Marathon, they partnered with Mello Lady to provide period products in women’s toilets at the start/finish area and at key points along the course. They also set up a baby care room to make participation more convenient for families with young children.
The efforts did not go unnoticed. Shortly after the event in November 2025, we received feedback from a female participant:
“I decided to run the Samarkand Marathon (half-marathon distance) during my holiday there this year and the organisers had partnered with [SheRACES]. I was so pleasantly surprised by the number of women taking part… and also the amenities like a mother/baby tent. I wasn't expecting a race in Uzbekistan to cater so well to women.”
The Samarkand Marathon Series as a whole has experienced incredible success in the last year, with the four key event dates and the option of an Online Marathon across the territory of Uzbekistan making it more accessible to runners from different regions. In total, over 19,000 people took part, including almost 2,000 international runners from 57 countries. “The running series continues to shape Uzbekistan’s image as an attractive destination for international sports tourism, combining competition, travel, and cultural heritage,” the team posted on Instagram.
Uzbekistan has many of the same societal issues that we address through our race guidelines, which may create barriers to women’s participation in events. This includes stereotypical views around women being the main caregivers and staying at home to raise children, whether this comes from cultural or religious traditions. These stereotypes may be stronger in some regions than others, but in the bigger cities, they’re easier to break. This is in part thanks to local running communities, sports events and more overall opportunities – including the Samarkand Marathon Series.
“We’re seeing more and more women taking part in our races every year. As one of the biggest running event organisers in the country, we feel a strong responsibility to create a supportive environment for women and help this positive trend grow.”
This determined effort is working. In the 2025 Samarkand Marathon, 34% of finishers across all distances were women – a statistic that has been fairly consistent since 2019. The hope is that this will rise with the introduction of more measures introduced to break down barriers and give more women access to start lines.
Being a SheRACES accredited event shows a strong commitment to tackling these issues and leading the way in Uzbekistan to show how races can and should be designed. Founder of SheRACES, Sophie Power, says:
“We’re proud to have the Samarkand Marathon Series as a SheRACES-accredited event. The team are proving that putting on inclusive races, ones that actively welcome and encourage women to the start line – and have measures in place to make that happen – is not only possible, but successful too. We can’t wait to see this event grow further and attract more women, both across Uzbekistan, but also international runners who want to experience a race in this beautiful country.”
If you’re thinking of joining one of the Samarkand Marathon Series events in 2026, here is the latest calendar:
Bukhara Night Race — 18th April
ZAAMIN ULTRA — 13th-14th June
Sky Camp — 22nd-23rd August
Samarkand Marathon — 7th-8th November
Stay up to date with the Samarkand Marathon Series on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samarkandmarathon/
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