He was born in the Nookat district and currently lives in Osh.
“My first marathon — 10 kilometers — took place in 2019. A friend suggested I give it a try, and I agreed. Since then, I have really enjoyed this sport, and I continue to run. Although by profession I sell airline tickets,” he shared.
In addition to running, Zamirbek is passionate about mountaineering. He was able to climb Mount Yukhina, which has an elevation of 5,135 meters. In Osh, he is a member of a running club and the "Alpinists" society. The group engages in various sports, including triathlon, and in the coming days, a triathlon will take place in Osh, in which he also plans to participate. “The competition will include swimming, cycling, and running,” the athlete added.
Thanks to his passion for running, he has visited several countries. He particularly remembers participating in an international marathon of 42 kilometers that took place on November 3, 2024, in Istanbul (Turkey).
“A month before the marathon, I injured my leg. The doctor warned me: ‘You won’t even run 5 kilometers; better not participate.’ However, I had trained for six months and couldn’t give up. Despite the pain in my left leg, I completed the marathon in 5 hours and 55 minutes. It was very difficult. All expenses for participating in international marathons fall on the shoulders of the athletes: registration, tickets, food, and accommodation,” he recounted.
This year, Zamirbek became the only representative of Kyrgyzstan to receive a medal at an international marathon that involved four countries.
“In January of this year, as part of a joint marathon held between Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan, we started in Baku, then continued in Bishkek, Almaty, Turkestan, and finished in Samarkand. In each city, participants ran a distance of 42 kilometers. A total of 22 people received medals: 16 from Kazakhstan, 4 from Uzbekistan, one from Russia, and I from Kyrgyzstan. It was announced that only one participant from Kyrgyzstan would receive an award. I raised the flag of my country and received the medal,” he shared.
Zamirbek dreams of winning the six-star medal of the World Marathon Majors in the future, which is awarded to those who have completed all six major marathons. These marathons take place in London, Berlin, Tokyo, Sydney, Chicago, Boston, and New York. Each of them includes a distance of 42 kilometers and 195 meters. “Perhaps in the future, I will also participate in these marathons,” he concluded.
