In 2012, Kazakhstani entrepreneur Galimzhan Yessenov founded the “Courage to be First” corporate foundation. The foundation has now held more than 100 events attended by more than 200,000 people from all over the world. The flagship project of the foundation – the Almaty Marathon – has become an important driver of Almaty’s economic development, attracting tourists to the city and stimulating the growth of local businesses.
The marathon raised a record $143,000 for charity in 2023. Every year, a part of the registration fee charged to take part is allocated to children with special needs. Over 12 years, the foundation’s team has implemented more than 30 charitable initiatives worth over $610,000 and encouraged more than 3,000 children into sport.