Registan Square hosts Samarkand Marathon on 7 November

The Registan Square (Registon maydoni) in Samarkand will host Samarkand Marathon from 7 to 8 November 2026. The event brings road running to one of Uzbekistan’s best-known historic ensembles.

Samarkand Marathon starts at Registan Square in November

The official Samarkand Marathon Series listing places the 2026 event at Registan Square on 7 and 8 November. The programme includes a marathon, half marathon, 10 km and 5 km races, alongside shorter runs, Nordic walking and children’s events.

The event is organised through Uzbekistan’s Culture and Arts Development Foundation, which is named in the official event site’s organisational information. Its listing also records offline registration after online registration closes, giving the event a continuing route for participants rather than marking it as inaccessible to the public. The official marathon listing names both the dates and the square.

For visitors who are not taking part, the practical effect is that a major sporting programme will occupy the square and its surrounding urban setting during the 7 to 8 November period. The published event information identifies the venue, but does not state a separate change to access for ordinary visits to the historic buildings.

Why Registan Square gives the race its setting

The square forms part of Samarkand’s historic town, whose monuments include the Registan mosque and madrasas, the Bibi-Khanum Mosque, the Shakhi-Zinda compound and the Gur-Emir ensemble. UNESCO describes Samarkand as a city that reached major development during the Timurid period between the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.

The Registan ensemble consists of three madrasas facing the square. Their decorated ceramic surfaces and monumental portals form the architectural background for an event based on movement through the modern city. That contrast gives the November race a specific setting: runners gather beside a place associated with Islamic architecture, education and the historic urban life of Samarkand. The UNESCO heritage description places the Registan among the major monuments of the World Heritage property.

The heritage status does not turn the marathon into a ceremony at the monuments. It identifies the cultural setting in which the public sporting event takes place, while the race programme remains the current reason for travellers to note these dates.

Several race formats share the November programme

The official programme is broader than the headline marathon. It includes long-distance road races, shorter runs, walking and children’s categories, allowing the two-day event to use the square as a meeting point for different forms of participation.

This range also links the event to the wider urban landscape. The Registan is not an isolated venue outside Samarkand, but one of the central monuments within the historic town described by UNESCO. Visitors therefore encounter a functioning city and a protected cultural environment at the same time.

Visiting Registan Square: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Samarkand Marathon takes place at Registan Square from 7 to 8 November 2026. The official listing names the square as the venue.
• The programme includes the marathon, half marathon, 10 km, 5 km, walking and children’s events. No separate visitor access change is stated in the official listing.
• Registan Square is in the historic town of Samarkand, whose principal monuments are included in the UNESCO World Heritage property inscribed in 2001.
• Uzbek is the official language and the national currency is the Uzbekistani sum.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

Searching for Registan Square on social platforms

These links open searches for Registan Square on each platform.

Frequently asked questions about Registan Square

When does Samarkand Marathon take place at Registan Square?

Samarkand Marathon takes place from 7 to 8 November 2026 at Registan Square in Samarkand.

What is Registan Square?

It is the historic square surrounded by the Registan mosque and three madrasas in Samarkand. The ensemble forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage property inscribed in 2001.

Where is Registan Square and how do you get there?

Registan Square is in the historic town of Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The official marathon listing identifies the square as the event venue.