Baku Marathon

The Baku Marathon is Azerbaijan's flagship road race, launched in 2016 by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the Seaside Boulevard Office, and Baku Olympic Stadium under the slogan "Win the Wind." For its first eight editions (2016-2025) the event was run as a 21 km half marathon; in 2026 (its ninth edition, held May 3, 2026) it was expanded for the first time to a full 42.2 km marathon distance, alongside shorter 21 km and 10 km options for mass participants. The course starts at State Flag Square and runs along Baku Boulevard, past the Baku International Sea Port, Neftchilar Avenue, Baku White City Boulevard, Heydar Aliyev Avenue, and BAKU Arena before finishing at the Sea Breeze resort complex on the Absheron coast. The race draws up to 20,000 participants in recent editions, with free entry for students, discounted entry for Azerbaijani residents, and a separate fee for international runners. Registration for the 2027 edition has not yet opened. Based on the event's consistent late-April/early-May scheduling pattern, the next edition is expected around that time in 2027.