MAIZURU, October 16. /Dunyo IA/. Traditional international half marathon “Maizuru Red Brick Half Marathon 2026” was held in Maizuru, a city in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

Representing Uzbekistan Arofatkhan Imomaliyeva, a coach from the sports school of Dangara district of Fergana region, successfully competed in these prestigious competitions, securing a respectable third place. The athlete has been in Japan as part of the Fergana region delegation from October 9^th to 13^th of this year.

Event was jointly organized by the Maizuru city administration and the Kyoto Prefecture Athletics Association. Approximately 3,300 running enthusiasts from various regions of Japan and about ten foreign countries participated in the event.

Half marathon route ran along Maizuru Bay, through the territory of the naval infrastructure of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, as well as past the city's historical buildings. This allowed participants not only to test their athletic capabilities but also to familiarize themselves with the historical heritage and tourism potential of the region.

Despite the air temperature reaching 26 degrees Celsius, the participants demonstrated high endurance. About 2,000 athletes successfully completed the distance.

Award won by the representative of Uzbekistan at the international competition is yet another confirmation of the high potential of domestic athletes on the world stage and will contribute to the strengthening of cooperation in the sports sphere and friendly ties between Uzbekistan and Japan.