Almaty marathon courses receive IAAF/AIMS certificates

The courses of the Almaty Marathon have received IAAF/AIMS certificates, Tengrinews reports. The official course measurer of B category Vladimir Volkov arrived from Russia to measure and certify the Almaty marathon courses. Volkov measured three distances - 10, 21 and 42.195 km - in four days, then he gave the marathon organizers the official certificates for each course. The AIMS/IAAF certificate is the main condition needed to enter the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS). The AIMS membership allows to invite prominent athletes from all over the world; also it gives access to the international network of over 350 top races in more than 98 countries and international recognition for the local event with increased profile for the sponsors, city and runners. "After the certification the Almaty Marathon will be included into the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF)," Volkov said. According to the organizers of the marathon, it is expected that more than 10 thousand people are going to participate in the marathon in 2014. It will be the third marathon held in Almaty. More than 5000 people took part in 2nd Almaty Charitable Marathon on April 28, 2013. The Marathon started at 08:00 a.m. from the Park of the First President (Al-Farabi Av. corner Navoi Str.) Participants aged from 10 to 75 had a choice of four routes: 2, 9.6, 21 and 42-kilometer long courses. Akim (Mayor) of Almaty Akhmetzhan Yessimov, prominent athletes, culture, show-business and business persons, professional runners and amateurs participated in the Marathon. The next marathon route will similar to this year's one. The representative of IAAF/AIMS Volkov praised the quality of the course of the Almaty Marathon. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) is the international governing body for the sport of athletics. It was founded on 17 July 1912 at its first congress in Stockholm, Sweden by representatives from 17 national athletics federations as the International Amateur Athletics Federation. Since October 1993, it has been headquartered in Monaco. The Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) is an association of long-distance running races. Originally founded in 1982.