Tajikistan to host international half-marathon

Tajik capital to mark Capital City Day on April 19 with sports, cultural events and major international race

DUSHANBE, Tajikistan (MNTV) – Dushanbe will celebrate Capital City Day on April 19 with a series of sports and cultural events, highlighted by the city’s flagship Dushanbe International Half-Marathon, which is expected to draw both local and international athletes.

Capital City Day is celebrated annually on the third Saturday of April, and the half-marathon has become the signature event since its inception in 2010. 

The 21.1-kilometer race will begin near Navrouz Palace (Navrouzgoh) and conclude at Dousti Square, near the monument to Ismoil Somoni, the founder of the Tajik state.

According to organizers, this year’s race will see participation from athletes representing Tajikistan as well as several foreign countries. 

Dushanbe Mayor Rustam Emomali has allocated over 590,000 Tajikistani somonis ($54,000) from the Capital Development Fund to support the event.

Cash prizes will be awarded to the top six finishers in the main race and top three in the amateur 5-kilometer run, with the highest prizes reserved for first-place winners in both categories.

The only year the race was canceled was 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since 2013, the event has been part of the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) calendar.

Dushanbe, which marked its 100th anniversary last year, became the capital of the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic in 1929 and the capital of independent Tajikistan in 1991. 

Its name, meaning “Monday” in Tajik, originates from its historical role as a Monday bazaar town.