Over a thousand sports enthusiasts, including members of the diplomatic corps, corporate leaders, youth, children, and athletes, on Saturday participated in the international half marathon “One Run-2026” in the capital, aiming to create awareness about health and the environment.

State Minister for Youth and Sports Md Aminul Haque and Barrister Zaima Rahman, daughter of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, attended the awards ceremony as guests.

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“We would be able to bring about a qualitative change in the country if we can create a sports-friendly environment,” said the State Minister at the prize-giving ceremony at Hatirjheel Amphitheatre.

Zaima said this kind of event should be encouraged more in the country, connecting people from all walks of life. “There should be more participation of people of all abilities,” she said.

Cosmos Group was a co-sponsor of the event while news agency United News of Bangladesh (UNB) served as the media partner and  weekly Dhaka Courier as the print media partner and. The international media partner was TASS, the TV partner was Jamuna TV, and the online partner was Alap.

Employees of the Russian Embassy, the Russian House, and the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant joined the event, which was organised by the Russian sports team "Hero League" and the Bangladeshi company GamePlay.

Participants could choose one of four distances: 1 km, 5 km, 10 km, and 21.1 km. The routes circled Hatirjheel Lake.

All runners received memorable prizes, and the winners of each distance received unique awards.

Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexander Khozin congratulated the participants and organisers on the successful event and wished everyone new sporting achievements in the future.

On behalf of the Russian diplomatic mission, he expressed gratitude to Natalia Tasenko and Faisal Titumir, representatives of the "Hero League" and “GamePlay”.

For the second year in a row, the One Run half marathon has brought together citizens of Russia and Bangladesh, giving them the opportunity to join a large-scale sporting event taking place on the same day in dozens of other countries: from China to Brazil and from Nepal to Tanzania.

One Run 2026 is part of the world’s largest synchronised running event, taking place simultaneously across more than 25 countries and uniting communities through the spirit of sport, health, and global solidarity.

This initiative reflects GamePlay’s continued commitment to advancing sports diplomacy as a platform for fostering unity, peace, and international collaboration, organisers said.

According to organisers, more than 2.45 lakh participants globally are expected to join the event under the shared slogan: “One Run, One Goal, One World.”

Chuti is the title sponsor of the event, and it is powered by Duronto Sports Gallery.

The “One Run” half marathon (known as “ZaBeg.RF” in Russia) originated in Russia in 2017 and has gradually expanded into a global event, now held across dozens of countries under a synchronised format.