Elshan Guliyev: "Baku Marathon-2026" is a historic step, but needs improvement

"The 42-kilometer race, the "Baku Marathon-2026," held for the first time in Azerbaijan yesterday, was a remarkable event for our people."

This was stated to Idman.Biz by 55-year-old marathon runner, Deputy Chairman of the "Running for All" Committee of the Azerbaijan Athletics Federation, Elshan Guliyev.

Although he usually participates in the organization of marathons, this time he competed again as a runner after two years.

"Running is freedom for me. I was pleased to be a part of such a sports festival. This is a somewhat delayed but serious and historic step taken 35 years after independence was gained."

Elshan Guliyev hopes that this is just the beginning and that the number of such races will increase even more in the future. In his opinion, compliance with International Athletics rules in the next marathons could attract more foreign participants.

"I think that in the future, there is no need for marathons to last more than six hours; the winners should be determined within four hours. It would also be good if participants clearly indicate how many kilometers they will run during registration so that it is possible to divide them into groups. In addition, it would be better if food was served in chopped form and water in plastic cups. Of course, there should also be enough trash cans along the route. We can further improve our marathons and include them in the International Athletics calendar so that athletes from other countries are also aware of these competitions," he concluded.