On March 29, the annual meeting of the winners of the Shakhmardan Yessenov Foundation’s programs took place in Astana. The event brought together 59 talented young individuals from across the country, including winners of the Research Internships, Yessenov Data Lab, Launch Pad, and other programs.
Participants shared inspiring stories, experiences from internships abroad and advice on career development and education. It was exciting to see them finding like-minded people and becoming part of a strong community.
The Foundation’s mission is to develop Kazakhstan’s intellectual potential, and we are happy to witness this vision in action.
Over 2024 the Almaty Marathon has grown to become the largest marathon in Central Asia and has effects far beyond the finish line. The event, one of the select few charitable marathons globally, aims not only to promote health and an active lifestyle but also works to tackle broader societal challenges.
Read more about the Almaty Marathon and its impact on the local communities in BNE Intellinews.
In 2024, the seventh edition of the Almaty Half Marathon took place, organised by the team behind the Almaty Marathon. Founded in 2012 by the businessman and philanthropist Galimzhan Yessenov, and the mastermind of the race, Aizhan Yessim, the Almaty Marathon team has since run over 100 mass participatory sporting events, and the Marathon itself has grown to become the largest running event in Central Asia. Approximately 200,000 people have participated in the races over the years, and 8,000 participants took part in this April’s Almaty Half Marathon.
Read more about this in BNE Intellinews.
Late April 2024 saw a milestone event for sport in Central Asia as Virtus, the global sporting federation for athletes with an intellectual impairment, brought the 2024 Virtus World Half Marathon and 10K Road races to Almaty, Kazakhstan. 28 Virtus athletes from 8 countries competed in the events.
Read more about this in Trend.
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.