The Great Batumi Night Race 2026: Running the Black Sea Coast Under the Stars

There are road races, and then there are experiences. The Great Batumi Night Race is firmly in the second category. Every April, as the subtropical spring of the Georgian Black Sea coast reaches its warmest and most luminous point, hundreds of runners from across Georgia and dozens of countries beyond gather in Batumi for a night race that takes them along one of the most spectacular urban courses in the South Caucasus. The Alphabet Tower shimmers in the dark. The Boulevard stretches along a sea that catches every light. The old harbour moves past at shoulder height. And somewhere along the route, the Caucasus Mountains appear above the city's skyline, silver in the darkness.

The Great Batumi Night Race is organised and hosted annually by the Colosseum Marina Hotel and takes place each April. It is certified by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS), placing it on the same quality standard as some of the most respected road races in the world. It offers a Half Marathon of 21.1 kilometres, a Fun Run of approximately 10 kilometres, and two KidsRuns, both completely free of charge. The race starts at 19:00, runs through darkness, and finishes in the glow of Batumi's distinctive contemporary skyline.

For runners who want their April race to give them something that a city park circuit or an industrial estate course simply cannot, this is the one to put in the calendar.

The Story of the Great Batumi Night Race: From Debut to AIMS Certification

First Run in 2018: 32 Countries at the Start Line

The inaugural Great Batumi Night Race took place in 2018, and the scale of interest it generated from the very beginning was remarkable. The debut edition gathered hundreds of professional and amateur runners from 32 countries, an extraordinary international turnout for a first-time event in a city that was only beginning to establish itself as a serious sports tourism destination.

The choice of a night format was deliberate and exactly right for the setting. Batumi in April is warm but not hot, with evening temperatures typically between 14 and 18 degrees Celsius, ideal for sustained running. The city's illuminated landmarks, the Alphabet Tower, the dancing fountains of the Boulevard, the Ali and Nino kinetic sculpture, the old lighthouse at the northern end of the seafront, are at their most dramatically beautiful after dark. The route design, described by its creators with the simple motto "Flat. Fast. Unforgettable," was engineered to show off the city at exactly the pace at which a runner can absorb it.

The event was established to promote the wonderful sport of running and a healthy lifestyle, to offer a platform for top runners from Georgia to present themselves to a wider audience and to compete with excellent runners from abroad, and to create Batumi as a remarkable venue for runners, both amateurs and professionals, from all over the world.

By 2020, the Great Batumi Night Race had earned certification from the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS), the global body that sets standards for elite road race measurement, course verification, and event quality. AIMS certification is held by fewer than 500 events worldwide and is the benchmark by which serious runners assess the credibility of any road race. The same 2020 edition saw Batumi host the 23rd World Congress of AIMS, a further recognition of the city's growing reputation as a serious address in the global running calendar.

Since 2018, Batumi has received the title of European City of Sport 2019, becoming the first municipality in Georgia awarded by ACES Europe, underlining the city's official commitment to building a sports culture that goes beyond individual events into a broader civic identity.

The Charity Element: Racing with Purpose

From its first edition, the Great Batumi Night Race has supported carefully selected charity projects, directing a portion of the money gathered through race registrations toward causes chosen by the organizers. In one notable edition, the proceeds were directed toward opening an experimental classroom for children on the autistic spectrum, a concrete example of the race's ambition to be more than a sporting event. The charity dimension is embedded in the race's identity and gives every registration fee a dimension beyond personal athletic achievement.

The Course: Flat, Fast, and Lined with Batumi's Greatest Sights

The Race Route Design

The course design of the Great Batumi Night Race is one of its defining strengths. It is deliberately flat, making it suitable for runners of all experience levels, from first-time half-marathon participants to seasoned athletes chasing personal best times. It is also fast, meaning the combination of favourable elevation, good road surface, and cool evening air creates conditions where strong performances are achievable.

More importantly, it is genuinely spectacular. The route guides participants through the wonderful city, where the participants enjoy the Boulevard along the Black Sea coast, great views to the surrounding mountains of the Caucasus, the old town, the harbour, and the fascinating Miracle Park, with the experience of the Alphabetic Tower and the encounter with Ali and Nino.

The Boulevard: Seven Kilometres of Black Sea Atmosphere

The centrepiece of the course is the Batumi Boulevard, the seven-kilometre seafront promenade that has been the social and cultural heart of the city since it was first laid out by Prussian gardeners in 1884. Running along the Boulevard at night, with the Black Sea on one side and the palm-lined promenade on the other, is an experience that separates this race from virtually every other urban half marathon in the region.

The Boulevard's lighting system, which illuminates the promenade's path, its sculptures, its fountains, and its landmark architectural features, transforms the running route into something closer to a moving gallery than a standard road course. The dancing fountains, coordinated with music and coloured lights, provide an unexpected sensory element at specific points along the route.

Miracle Park and the Alphabet Tower

One of the most memorable sections of the course takes runners through Miracle Park and past the Alphabet Tower, Batumi's most distinctive contemporary landmark. Constructed in 2011 and designed by Spanish architect Alberto Domingo Cabo, the tower stands 130 metres tall with all 33 letters of the Georgian alphabet arranged in a spiralling double-helix structure. At night, the tower is lit in a way that makes it visible from much of the course, appearing and reappearing between buildings as the route winds through the city.

The Ali and Nino kinetic sculpture, located on the Boulevard near the Alphabet Tower, depicts the slowly merging and separating figures of the two protagonists of the great Caucasian love story. Passing it during the race, with its figures potentially illuminated and mid-movement, is one of the small, memorable moments that runners describe when they talk about what makes this event different from others.

The Old Town and Harbour

The course also takes runners through the Batumi Old Town, with its ornate 19th-century facades, wrought-iron balconies, and narrow lanes that open unexpectedly onto small squares. This neighbourhood, a complete architectural contrast to the contemporary towers of the Boulevard area, gives the route a historical dimension that many night races lack entirely. The harbour section, where the Black Sea is particularly close and the port infrastructure adds an industrial character to the surroundings, completes a course that effectively tours the full range of Batumi's identity within 21.1 kilometres.

Race Categories and Registration

The Half Marathon (21.1 km)

The flagship event is the AIMS-certified Half Marathon, which covers the full 21.1 kilometres of the course. Past editions have attracted elite runners from Kenya, Georgia, Russia, and other countries, with competitive prize money awarded to the top finishers. The first male and female winners have included Kenyan runners Bernard Cheruiyot Sang, Hillary Kering, Daisy Kimeli Jeptoo, and Emily Chepkemoi Arusio alongside Georgian and international competitors, reflecting the genuinely international character of the competitive field.

The Half Marathon starts at 19:00 and typically finishes within two to three hours depending on the runner's pace. The flat, fast course design makes it an excellent choice for runners attempting a first half marathon or targeting a personal best.

The Fun Run (circa 10 km)

The Fun Run covers approximately 10 kilometres of the full course and is designed for recreational runners, those who prefer a shorter distance, or those who are building toward a full half marathon attempt. It follows the same streets and landmarks as the longer course, so participants experience the same scenic highlights at a pace that allows them to absorb the surroundings more fully.

Registration for both the Half Marathon and the Fun Run is available online through the official race website at batumi-marathon.com. Online registration is strongly recommended, as both events have seen strong demand in previous years.

KidsRuns: Free and On-Site Registration

The event includes two KidsRuns, both of which are completely free of charge. Registration for the KidsRuns is not handled online but takes place on-site at the Colosseum Marina Hotel in the two days before the main race. For families visiting Batumi for the race weekend, this on-site registration process creates a natural reason to arrive at the hotel hub in advance and collect information about the full weekend programme.

The KidsRuns are designed to introduce younger participants to the race experience in a safe, supportive environment with appropriate distances. They typically take place on the Boulevard in the afternoon or early evening before the main race starts.

Race Headquarters: Colosseum Marina Hotel

All race administration, registration, packet pickup, and pre-race briefings are centred on the Colosseum Marina Hotel in Batumi. The hotel serves as the official race organiser and host. Its location in the city, with direct access to the Boulevard and the seafront, makes it a natural hub for runners gathering in the days before the race. Pre-race registration for the KidsRuns, as well as packet pickup for the adult events, takes place at the hotel in the days immediately before race day.

The Great Batumi Night Race Weekend: More Than Just a Race

The Pre-Race Atmosphere

Part of what makes a well-organised international race worth traveling to is the atmosphere in the city during the days leading up to it. The Great Batumi Night Race, timed to coincide with the late April period when Batumoba (the city's own anniversary festival on 28 April) is also drawing visitors, gives runners who arrive a day or two early an unusual bonus: a city already in a festive mood, with the Boulevard alive with the early-season energy that the spring opening brings.

Late April in Batumi is one of the most pleasant times of year to be in the city. The subtropical vegetation of the Boulevard and the Botanical Garden is fully established. The sea has begun to warm toward swimming temperature. The outdoor cafes are in full operation. The daily dancing fountains light up the promenade. And the Alphabet Tower, visible from most of the race course, provides a constant orientation point that runners quickly find reassuring.

Post-Race Recovery in Batumi

For runners arriving with family or for those who want to extend their stay beyond race day, Batumi offers a generous range of activities suited to the recovery rhythm of a post-race day.

The Batumi Botanical Garden, covering 111 hectares of subtropical and tropical plant collections on the hillside north of the city, is a beautiful and unhurried morning option for the day after the race. Its nine phyto-geographic zones include plantings from East Asia, the Himalayas, Australia, New Zealand, the Mediterranean, and North America, all reached via marked trails through subtropical forest with views of the Black Sea at several points.

The Old Town is ideal for a slow post-race morning: coffee at one of the Piazza Square cafes, browsing the ornate facades of the 19th-century streets, visiting the mosque, the synagogue, the Cathedral of the Mother of God, and the Armenian Gregorian church that stand within walking distance of each other in the city centre. This concentration of religious buildings from multiple traditions reflects Batumi's history as a port city where communities of different faiths have coexisted for centuries.

The Argo cable car connects the central city to a hilltop viewpoint approximately 260 metres above Batumi, providing panoramic views of the bay and the course you just ran, making it a satisfying way to see the route from above in the daylight of the day after.

For nutrition and recovery, Batumi's food culture is one of the most rewarding in the South Caucasus. Adjarian Khachapuri, the boat-shaped cheese bread topped with egg and butter that is Adjara's most famous contribution to Georgian cuisine, is the ideal post-race comfort food. Georgian wine, representing an 8,000-year winemaking tradition and available at restaurants across the city, provides the appropriate celebratory accompaniment.

Practical Information for Running the Great Batumi Night Race 2026

Date and Timing

The Great Batumi Night Race takes place annually in April, consistently organised and hosted by the Colosseum Marina Hotel. The 2026 specific date is confirmed at batumi-marathon.com and through the official race Facebook page and GoBatumi event listing. The race starts at 19:00. The KidsRun registration opens at the Colosseum Marina Hotel on the two days before the main race.

Getting to Batumi

Batumi International Airport (BUS) operates direct connections from Istanbul, Warsaw, Vienna, Riga, Kyiv, Tel Aviv, and several other European cities, with seasonal routes expanding as spring approaches. From Tbilisi, the daytime express train takes approximately four hours. The overnight sleeper service runs in approximately five and a half hours. Marshrutka minibuses cover the Tbilisi to Batumi route in five to six hours at lower cost.

For runners arriving from Europe or the wider international running community, Istanbul is the most common connecting hub, with Turkish Airlines, Georgian Airways, and other carriers serving Batumi Airport directly or via connections.

Getting Around Batumi

The Colosseum Marina Hotel, race start area, and Boulevard course are all closely interconnected in central Batumi. The city is highly walkable across its central area, and the distances between the race hub, the Old Town, and the Boulevard promenade are all comfortable on foot even in the days before a race when runners are managing their mileage.

City buses serve the wider urban area, including routes to Gonio (15 km south) and the Botanical Garden (north along the coast). Taxis are inexpensive by European standards and widely available.

Accommodation

The Colosseum Marina Hotel is the official race hotel and the natural first choice for participating runners. Beyond the convenience of proximity to the race administration, it offers direct access to the Boulevard and the seafront. The hotel range in Batumi also includes the Sheraton, Hilton, and Radisson Blu for those who want international brand luxury alongside the sea views, and a wide range of mid-range hotels and guesthouses in the Old Town and Boulevard area.

Late April is the beginning of Batumi's spring tourist season, and demand for accommodation picks up significantly around the race weekend. Booking four to six weeks in advance is advisable. Runners who can confirm their participation early should secure accommodation as soon as registration opens.

Weather on Race Day

April evenings in Batumi typically offer temperatures between 14 and 18 degrees Celsius, ideal running conditions for most athletes. The subtropical climate means a light layer for the start area is sensible, though most runners will warm quickly once running. The evenings are generally calm and clear in April, though brief spring showers are always possible. Checking the forecast in the week before the race through Georgian meteorological services is recommended.

Registration and Contact

Online registration for the Half Marathon and Fun Run is available at batumi-marathon.com. KidsRun registration is on-site at the Colosseum Marina Hotel in the two days preceding race day. For queries about registration, the official email is info@batumi-marathon.com. The official Facebook page, The Great Batumi Night Race, is the fastest source for announcements about the 2026 date, programme, and any programme changes.

Currency and Costs

Georgia's currency is the Georgian Lari (GEL). ATMs are widely available throughout central Batumi. Most hotels and restaurants accept international cards. Registration fees are processed through the official website and may be payable in GEL or via international payment processors. KidsRuns are free of charge.

Why This Race Belongs on Your 2026 Running Calendar

There is no shortage of international road races to choose from in the spring season. What makes the Great Batumi Night Race worth choosing, over a race in a more familiar European or North American setting, comes down to something that training plans and personal best targets do not capture.

This is a race where the course genuinely matters. Where running past the Alphabet Tower at 21:00 as it lights the sky above you is an experience specific to this event in this city. Where the combination of a Black Sea coast setting, AIMS-certified measurement standards, an international competitive field, free KidsRuns, a charity commitment, and the particular warmth that Georgian hospitality brings to any event creates something that runners consistently describe as unlike anything they have done before.

The uniqueness of the Batumi Night Race is its comfortable environment, the routes running through the city and along the Black Sea Coast, and its climatic conditions, alongside the beautiful sights you pass while running.

Flat. Fast. Unforgettable. That was the idea when the event was designed. After several editions and thousands of runners from dozens of countries, the idea has proven itself completely.

Register at batumi-marathon.com. Book your flights and hotel. Pack your race kit and your appetite for Georgian food. And meet Batumi at 19:00 on an April evening, when the Boulevard is lit and the sea is dark and the start line is waiting for you.

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