The international One Run-Puma half marathon will take place in Yerevan on May 23, with more than 1,000 participants expected. Event organizer Vladimir Gevorgyan announced the details during a press conference, Sputnik Armenia reported.

According to him, this year’s race will not be held through Yerevan’s central streets as in previous years, but will instead move to Hrazdan Gorge because the capital is preparing for the military parade dedicated to Republic Day on May 28.

“For the past three years, the half marathon was held in downtown Yerevan, starting from Republic Square and passing through Abovyan Street, Isahakyan Street and others. Our runners completed four five-kilometer loops in the city center. This year we will start from 52/1 Barbyus Street, not far from the Florence restaurant, then continue along a straight 2.5-kilometer route before turning back to the starting point. Four laps for the half marathon, one lap for 5 kilometers, two laps for 10 kilometers and so on. This year we are forced to move the race to Hrazdan Gorge, but I hope next year we will return to our traditional routes through central Yerevan,” Gevorgyan said.

He noted that the Yerevan half marathon attracts not only Armenian citizens but also foreign participants. According to him, winners in previous years included runners who relocated from Russia. Gevorgyan added that political forces currently conducting election campaigns could also have joined the event, as it could serve both to promote healthy lifestyles and attract voter attention.

Olga Gevorgyan, manager of Concept Events, said that this year running enthusiasts from the UAE and the U.S. are arriving specifically to participate in the half marathon. She also noted that the competition usually features nearly equal numbers of men and women, although most Armenian participants are male, while women predominate among foreign runners.

According to organizers, participants will not be able to violate race rules because they will receive bib numbers equipped with special chips that automatically record the distance covered between start and finish.

Winners and prize-winners will receive medals and valuable gifts provided by sponsors. The winner of the 21-kilometer race will receive the main prize — a vacation gift card for the Dream Park resort in Stepanavan.

Registration is available online. Children under 16 will be able to run distances of up to one kilometer. No restrictions are предусмотрены for other age groups. Participants will gather on May 23 at 8:00 a.m., warm-up exercises will begin at 8:30 a.m., children’s races at 9:00 a.m., and the main races at 9:30 a.m. Based on previous years, the half marathon is expected to last around 2.5 hours.

The half marathon was first held in Russia, where this year it will take place for the 10th anniversary edition. In 2023, runners from five countries joined the event for the first time, while this year the number of participating countries has reached 38. More than 250,000 people are expected to take part in the international half marathon overall.