This year’s Sarajevo Run Fest will be held on September 12 and 13, and the Persil Sarajevo half-marathon, Metromedia Sarajevo 5K, Fun Run, and Crvena Jabuka Market Bambini Marathon will bring together more than 3,000 professional runners, recreational athletes, and the youngest participants from more than 50 countries. The largest running event in Bosnia and Herzegovina will be marked by humanitarian kilometer sales in cooperation with the Foundation “Stariji brat, starija sestra” (Engl. Older Brother, Older Sister).
Special red Adidas shirts are prepared for participants in the Persil Sarajevo half-marathon and Metromedia Sarajevo 5K, and they will cross the finish line with medals. Shirts and medals will remind runners of this year’s edition of the festival and the kilometers run through the streets of Sarajevo. Organizers call on citizens to take to the streets of Sarajevo and support the runners across the route. Cheering supporters help runners push through every kilometer while creating a vibrant festival atmosphere across the city.
The Crvena jabuka market Bambini Marathon will kick off the Sarajevo Run Fest with a race for the youngest participants. The first meters of this year’s festival will belong to the children, who will, with the support of parents and audience, have the opportunity to experience the joy of running and the atmosphere of a large sporting event. The Bambini Marathon aims to develop love for movement and sports in children in the early stages, but also to encourage parents and children to spend quality time together. In that spirit, an accompanying entertainment program with music, games, and various activities for the entire family will take place after the race. This will turn the start of Sarajevo Run Fest into a social event devoted to the youngest, their first sporting experiences, and good fun.
The cooperation with the Foundation “Stariji brat, starija sestra” gives a special significance to this year’s event. The runners will sell their kilometers, and the funds raised will be directed toward charitable purposes to help those who need support the most. In this way, every kilometer run gets additional value: in addition to representing a personal sporting success, it becomes a concrete contribution to the community. Organizers call on all participants, companies, and citizens to support the charity initiative and help the energy of the Sarajevo Run Fest reach those who won’t be at the starting line.
“This year, we are continuing our mission to make the Sarajevo Run Fest much more than a running event – a platform that connects generations through sport, brings the community together, and presents Sarajevo as an open, active, and supportive city. We want everyone to find their place in the festival, whether at the start line, along the route cheering, or by contributing to the charity initiative. It is in this joint participation that we see the greatest value of the event and the foundation for long-term development of a culture of movement, healthy habits, and social responsibility,” said Alma Hrnjić Zubača from the Marathon Association.
Partners of Sarajevo Run Fest 2026 are Persil, Vivia, Powerade, Sport Vision, Adidas, Crvena Jabuka Market, Metromedia Group, BH Telecom, and Centar Skenderija. The event was supported by the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Sarajevo Canton, the Tourist Board of Sarajevo Canton, the Federal Ministry of Environment and Tourism, the Ministry of Transport of Sarajevo Canton, the Ministry of Interior of Sarajevo Canton, and the Stari Grad Municipality.
