A half-marathon is coming to the streets of Samarkand — and its aim is to make Uzbek culture more inclusive

Sports enthusiasts in Uzbekistan are hosting the country’s first charity marathon in a bid to make the country’s cultural scene more inclusive for people with disabilities.

Both novice and experienced runners are encouraged to participate, choosing between running two, 10 and 21km routes across the city of Samarkand, famous for its striking mosques and mausoleums.

The money raised will go into making one theatre in the Uzbek capital Tashkent accessible to blind theatre-goers and people with visual impairments.

The event is just one part of a wider project seeking to increase access to culture across the country. Other events running alongside the half-marathon include documentary screenings, talks on disability, and gigs mixing everything from ethnic Azerbaijani poems with Finnish electronic music to traditional Uzbek music.

The Samarkand Half-Marathon will take place on 1-3 November.