Shahdag, July 13 – Over the weekend, Azerbaijan’s Shahdag Mountain Resort played host to the Shahdag Running Fest, a major international trail running event that brought together nearly 600 amateur athletes from 10 countries, including Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Georgia, Pakistan, Kuwait, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and Austria.
Organized by Race.az, the Union of Ski Resorts of Turkic States, and the Shahdag Tourism Center, the event marked a significant moment in the rise of trail running in the Caucasus region, combining endurance, altitude, and international camaraderie.
Participants competed across three challenging mountain distances—9 km, 27 km, and an ultra-distance 53 km—testing both physical limits and mental resilience amid the rugged terrain of the Greater Caucasus.
Podium Results
Women – 9 km:
🥇 Arzu Mamedbekova
🥈 Elena Shetinina
🥉 Alyona Mayorova
Men – 9 km:
🥇 Musa Mikailzade
🥈 Nejmaddin Zaliyev
🥉 Nabiulla Galabaghiyev
Women – 27 km:
🥇 Nazrin Garibova
🥈 Anna Yusupova
🥉 Simone Nistl
Men – 27 km:
🥇 Faget Guliyev
🥈 Nasrulla Galabaghiyev
🥉 Rauf Kheyirov
Women – 53 km:
🥇 Natalia Vallek
🥈 Leyla Abdinova
🥉 Emilia Hasanova
Men – 53 km:
🥇 Agha Aliyev
🥈 Elmir Asgarov
🥉 Rasim Rzayev
At the closing ceremony, top finishers received medals and valuable prizes, as organizers praised the high level of preparation and the spirit of sportsmanship and unity that defined the event.
With its international reach and growing popularity, Shahdag Running Fest is quickly becoming a flagship event for trail running in the Turkic world and beyond.
