Another September, another Tbilisi Marathon — and, as usual, another video from the streets of Tbilisi. The city was still waking up when we headed out early on Sunday morning. There was that short window when the light is good, the streets are quieter than usual and thousands of people in running shoes somehow make perfect sense.
We ran with friends and colleagues from Caucasus Translations. I was the only person in our little group with a sub-one-hour target; everyone else was there to take part, keep moving and enjoy a very different Sunday morning in the city. The video is probably the best record of it: the early journey, the bibs, the gathering at the start, runners on the road and the small post-finish celebration.
Tbilisi Marathon 2026 at a glance
Tbilisi Marathon took place on Sunday, 27 September 2026. The programme included a 10K, a 21.097 km half marathon, and children’s races over 500 metres and 1 km. The 10K is chip-timed, and finishers receive a medal and can later download their certificate. There was also a water station roughly halfway around the course, while water and bananas were waiting after the finish. Official Tbilisi Marathon information and the 2026 course map are useful references for anyone planning a later edition.
Around 3,500 runners took part across the different race categories, bringing local and international runners together in central Tbilisi.
Tbilisi Marathon has been part of the city’s sporting calendar since 2012, when it began as a charity event with the Iavnana Foundation. It has grown into a familiar September date for runners who want a closed-road morning in the city.
Running the Tbilisi 10K with Caucasus Translations
This was not a morning for a grand masterplan. It was an early start, an elevator ride, bibs, coffee-level concentration and a group of people trying to remember where they had put everything. Then we reached the crowd and the usual pre-race nervousness disappeared into the noise.
The Caucasus Translations team gave the day its character. There were colleagues, family members and runners moving at different speeds, but nobody was treating it as a contest. Our youngest star had a particularly well-earned medal at the end — and a scooter, which is arguably a much more efficient recovery strategy than mine.
I ran the 10K in about 1 hour 3 minutes. I had personally hoped to break an hour and, although 1:03 turned out to be the quickest time in our little group, that was hardly the point of the morning. I kept a relatively consistent pace through the race, which is an improvement for me. No dramatic sprint, no heroic collapse, just keeping the legs going and enjoying the morning. Sub-60 can wait for another race.
For anyone who only sees race reports full of personal bests: a 1:03 10K is not an extraordinary number. But arriving at the start, holding a pace together and crossing the line with your people nearby counts for quite a lot.
A different route through Tbilisi in 2026
The 2026 10K was not the familiar Rustaveli Avenue version I remembered from earlier races. With Rustaveli Avenue under reconstruction, we got a somewhat different tour through central Tbilisi. The official map put the start and finish at First Republic Square and sent the 10K through streets including Mikheil Javakhishvili Street, Soliko Virsaladze Street, Revaz Tabukashvili Street, Nikoloz Baratashvili Avenue, the Tsotne Dadiani embankment and Vakhtang Gorgasali Street.
Tbilisi Marathon 2026 10K route
That change did not make the run less Tbilisi. The route still brought us down towards the Mtkvari and Old Tbilisi views. The Bridge of Peace, the pedestrian bridge connecting the Old Town side with Rike Park, was one of the recognisable sights around the river section. It is a useful reminder that in Tbilisi a city run can turn into sightseeing even when you are trying not to look too hard at your watch. For a non-race day visit, Rike Park also has the aerial tram up towards Narikala.
What it is like to run the Tbilisi Marathon 10K
The 10K is a practical distance for recreational runners, provided you train for it rather than treating race day as the training plan. This is a closed-road city race, not a track: there are turns, sections beside the river, crowds, changing street surfaces and enough small undulations to make pace feel less automatic than it does on a treadmill.
The early start helps. Late September mornings can be cool enough for running; the event’s own planning page gives a broad 10°C to 22°C range, though weather is weather, so check the forecast close to race day. Arrive with time for the start area at First Republic Square, use the bag drop if needed, and do not skip breakfast just because the race begins early. The official map shows medical cover at the start, finish and on course, plus a 10K refreshment point at 4.4 km.
A few things future runners should know:
- Check the official map rather than copying an old GPX file. This year proved that city routes can change.
- The official site publishes results and personal certificates on race day, so use that rather than relying only on a watch.
- If you are aiming for a first 10K, start a little slower than your fantasy pace. Tbilisi will still be there at kilometre eight.
- Stay near the centre if race-morning logistics matter to you. The start/finish was at First Republic Square in 2026, but confirm the next edition’s instructions before booking.
If you want to compare the atmosphere with previous editions, here are my reports from Tbilisi Marathon 2024 and the 2023 10K. The start areas and details evolve, but the useful part stays the same: it is a friendly excuse to see Tbilisi from the road instead of through a taxi window.
Video: Tbilisi Marathon 2026
The short video above catches the parts that are hard to turn into route notes: the sunrise light, the group before the start, the runners spreading down a traffic-free street and the medals at the end. It is also evidence that the small people in a team can finish a race day with more energy than the people who ran 10 kilometres.
Final thoughts
I wanted a sub-one-hour 10K and got about 1:03. Not quite there. But I kept the pace together, enjoyed a beautiful morning in Tbilisi and crossed the line alongside friends, family and colleagues. That is a decent return for one Sunday morning. Next time, perhaps, the clock will be kinder.
