ASTANA – The Uly Dala Zhorygy (The Great Steppe Tour in Kazakh) international horse race (baige) marathon began on Sept. 3 in Botai settlement in the North Kazakhstan Region. The event is held in the run-up to the fifth World Nomad Games, reported the National Sports Association’s press service.
The marathon-baige kicks off in the settlement of Botai. Photo credit: National Sports Association. Click to see the map in full size. The map is designed by The Astana Times.
The 500-kilometer race starts from Botai in the Aiyrtau district and ends in Astana. It features eight teams from Hungary, Iran, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, the Kyrgyz Republic, South Africa, Tatarstan, and Türkiye, alongside nine teams from Kazakhstan, including the Mangystau, Zhetisu, Almaty, Zhambyl, Akmola, Kostanai, East Kazakhstan, and Aktobe Regions.
For the first time, the race included two women’s teams from Kazakhstan’s Mangystau and Akmola regions. The team from Akmola brought previous experience from competing in the national baige marathon.
The marathon highlights Kazakhstan’s rich equestrian heritage by showcasing native horse breeds, such as the Adai, Naiman, Koshim, Aulie-Ata, Kostanai, and Zhetisu breeds.
National Sports Association President Islambek Salzhanov highlighted the significance of starting the marathon in Botai, widely regarded as the birthplace of horse domestication.
