On September 26, the Moscow Marathon 2026 kicked off. The first day featured a 10 km race that brought together the strongest runners from Russia and international guests. The course started at the MSU observation deck and ran along the Moscow River embankments, finishing in Luzhniki.
In the men’s race, Vladimir Nikitin took the win with a time of 27:53. Barnabas Kipkoech from Kenya finished second (28:03), and Artem Popov came third (28:31). In the women’s race, Svetlana Aplachkina won with 31:44. Anna Mokina took silver (32:40), and Albina Gadelshina claimed bronze (32:54).
I shot the race from two points: on Berezhkovskaya Embankment, where I captured the leaders against the backdrop of Moscow City, and in the Luzhniki area, where the main group finished. The atmosphere was festive: thousands of runners, support groups, bright costumes, and emotions at the finish. Kenyan athletes set the pace, while amateurs ran for personal challenges.
