Today, in the Kazakhstan capital launched the fifth race organized by the British-Kazakh Society (BKS) with the support of the Astana akimat. In 2009 BKS held its first race in Astana at 7 km, and the last 2 years it has become a semi-marathon distance.  The organizers plan to bring the full marathon distance and make them as popular and prestigious as marathons in London, Boston, Tokyo and other cities. The sponsors of the charity BKS semi-marathon in Astana were the "Air Astana" airline, KIOGE, ENRC and "Technodom" companies. Partners of the semi-marathon are World Class fitness center, Radisson SAS hotel, "Asem Ai Saryagash" water, the Confederation of combat sports and strength sports. General information sponsor is Muzzone TV channel.

The semi-marathon in Astana pursues not only the sports purposes. The race is an event to raise funds for the implementation of various charitable projects. Funds raised during the BKS semi-marathon in Astana and 10 km race in Almaty, conducted in 2012, went to the "Breathe, baby - Petropavlovsk" project of the "AYALA" charitable foundation. For the Petropavlovsk regional perinatal center was purchased a large number of medical equipment for the department of children’s resuscitation in the amount of 15,460,905 tenge. This equipment has helped health care workers of the regional perinatal center of Petropavlovsk save dozens of lives of premature babies and babies with different pathologies.

The organizers of the traditional BKS races evaluated the effectiveness of the "Breathe, baby" project. And in 2013, all the money that will be collected during the preparation and conduction of BKS semi-marathon in Astana, the 10 km races in Almaty and London decided to direct for the implementation of the "Breathe, baby - Uralsk" project. The cost of the equipment to be procured for the children's resuscitation department of the Uralsk Regional Perinatal Center is 18,285,500 tenge.

The BKS charity semi-marathon once again supported the stars of Kazakh sport. The BKS semi-marathon was attended by champions and winners of the Olympic Games and other sports like boxing, wrestling, judo, taekwondo and weightlifting. Ilya Ilyin, Yuri Melnichenko, Islam Bayramukov, Vladimir Sedov, Maria Grabavetskaya, Merey Akshalov, Daniar Eleusizov, Akzhurek Tanatarov, Askhat Zhitkeev, Ulan Ryskul, Beibit Ystybaev, Arman Chilmanov, Nursultan Mamaev, Feruza Ergeshova and Almas Uteshov willingly signed autographs and took pictures with all willing participants and guests of the BKS race. The participation of our athletes in the charity race – is another evidence of social responsibility of the Kazakhstan sport. We are confident that this example will serve as a common goal of charitable organizations of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the development of this noble tradition. The semi-marathon was attended by more than 100 runners. The winner among men became Sergey Polikarpov, Bibol finished after him and the third finished was Tolegen Akezhan. On the women's podium Marzhangul Firinchi took the first place, the second was Michelle Coupal, and the third place went to Tatyana Menshikov. Among the corporate runners won a representative of the ENRC Company, the second was the runner from the "Kamkor Locomotive" Llp and the honorary third place went to the "Air Astana". At the end of the semi-marathon it has been collected 1,944,300 tenge. There are still BKS race for 10 km in Almaty, which will take place on 28 September and BKS race for 10 km in London, scheduled for October 19.

The main organizer and inspirer of the charity races, an executive director of British-Kazakh Society Gauhar Bramley-Fenton said: “This is the fifth year we make a strong contribution to the development of charity races on the streets of the main cities of Kazakhstan and are pleased that our initiative is adopted with enthusiasm and develops in support of local government offices, sponsors and participants of the race. I would like to express special thanks to the "AYALA" charity foundation, without whose help, our initiative would not be possible".

 "We are always happy to support activities that promote healthy lifestyles, physical education and sport, and when these activities are aimed at helping the Kazakh medicine, especially children's medicine, our support repeatedly increases. For many years, we have productively cooperate with the British-Kazakh Society, we hope that this cooperation will benefit both parties”, - said the deputy head of the Department of Tourism and Sport of Astana Samat KABDULLIN.

"I am very pleased that the BKS brought in Kazakhstan an old British tradition of doing sports activities as cause for good deeds. In addition to sporting values such events have a spiritual value, helping to develop the tradition and culture of philanthropy in our country. The "Breathe, baby" project is coming to an end. Now it is easier to list cities and perinatal centers which have not yet received modern equipment to provide high-tech medical care for newborns. The “AYALA” foundation is thankful to all those who helped in the implementation of the "Breathe, baby" project, as well as in other medical and humanitarian endeavors Fund”, - said a vice-president of the "AYALA" charity foundation Zhangeldy SARSENOV.  

The director of the regional perinatal center of Uralsk city Nikolay Borisovich DMITRIENKO in turn, said: "From our colleagues from different parts of Kazakhstan, we have heard about the “Breathe, baby” project of the "AYALA" charity foundation. After training in the perinatal center of Almaty city, our doctors cannot hide their joy for Almaty colleagues. In the Almaty perinatal center there is a lot of equipment with a laconic sign "Gift of the "AYALA" charity foundation. We look forward to when the apparatus with such signs will appear in our department of children’s resuscitation”. 

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