Baku Marathon 2026

Knock knock knock! 🤓 A marathon in one of the most photogenic cities on the planet—tempted? 🌍 The Baku Marathon 2026 will take place in early May 📅, under the slogan "Win the Wind" 💨 (literally, win the wind)—and yes, in Baku, wind isn't a metaphor: the city is officially called the "City of Winds", constantly swept by gusts blowing in from the Caspian Sea 🌊. Plus, at that time of year you'll hit the sweet spot temperature-wise 🌡️. Not too hot (thanks to the sea breeze! 🌬️), not too cold—in short, the perfect cocktail for a successful weekend! 💪

The marathon route is a full cultural program all by itself 🗺️. The start is from National Flag Square 🇦🇿, where one of the largest national flags in the world flies: planted on a 162-meter mast, this tricolor flag of azure, red, and green adorned with a crescent and a star can be seen from miles away ⭐. From there, runners set off onto the Baku Boulevard, this legendary 25-kilometer pedestrian promenade along the Caspian Sea, built in the Tsarist era and expanded over the decades. This is where people from Baku have come to stroll, drink their tea, and watch the boats since the 19th century 🍵. The route then passes through the Baku International Sea Trade Port ⚓️, one of the most important on the Caspian Sea, a key player in the modern Silk Road linking Central Asia to Europe 🚢. You then head up Neftchilar Avenue ("Oil Workers Avenue"), a historic artery built by the oil millionaires of the early 20th century, then run along the White City Boulevard, this ultra-modern new district raised in a decade on former industrial sites 🏗️. The course then continues via Heydar Aliyev Avenue, passes the Olympic Stadium (a 68,000-seat stadium that hosted the first European Games in history in 2015 🏅), then crosses the bridge over Boyukshor, follows the peri-urban roads to the finish line at Sea Breeze, a seaside resort complex north of the city facing the sea 🌅. In short, 42 kilometers of architecture, history, and breathtaking skyline. Your legs will suffer, but your eyes will feast 😍.

Baku, capital of Azerbaijan 🇦🇿, is a city that baffles at first sight and captivates at second glance 👀. Its historic heart, Icheri Sheher, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2000 🏛️, piles up layers of history: the 12th-century walls, the Maiden Tower whose origins date back to the 6th-7th centuries BC, and the 15th-century Palace of the Shirvanshahs. All of it tucked into cobbled alleys where you could get lost for hours 🕰️. Then came the oil boom of the late 19th century: Baku was supplying half of the world's oil 🛢️, and with it colossal fortunes that reshaped the city into the "Paris of the Caucasus" 🥐, with Haussmann-style boulevards and Art Nouveau façades.

After the effort, Baku takes care of the rest 😄. The city is called the "Land of Fire" 🔥: since Antiquity, natural fires fed by pockets of underground gas would spontaneously burn on the hills, attracting Zoroastrian pilgrims from across the region. The Ateshgah temple, still standing 30 km from the city, is proof of that ⛩️. And for food 😋: Azerbaijani cuisine is one of the most generous in the world 🍽️. Saffron plov 🍚, vine-leaf dolma 🌿, lyulya kebab on lavash bread 🥙, and honey-and-almond pakhlava 🍯, all washed down with black tea in small armudu glasses🌹. Forty-two kilometers, then ending with a feast in a 15th-century caravanserai. As a day plan goes, we've seen worse 😄.

So, are you coming to the seaside with your bib?