HUMO Brings Technology, Sport and Contemporary Art Together at Samarkand Marathon 2026

HUMO Brings Technology, Sport and Contemporary Art Together at Samarkand Marathon 2026

HUMO, the national payment system, served as the General Partner of Samarkand Marathon 2026, an international charity marathon, presenting a large-scale interactive zone featuring innovative payment solutions, a special art project created in collaboration with a local artist, and a team of around 100 employees, including the company’s senior management.

On 7–8 November, the historic city of Samarkand once again became a hub of international sporting activity. Samarkand Marathon 2026 brought together thousands of participants from 67 countries, including professional athletes, recreational runners, children and participants in inclusive races.

As in previous years, HUMO, the national payment system, served as the General Partner of this major event, reaffirming its commitment to initiatives that promote the development of sport, strengthen social responsibility and raise Uzbekistan’s profile internationally.

This year, HUMO’s involvement went beyond traditional sponsorship. The company integrated modern payment technologies, art and its own corporate initiatives into the marathon space, creating a unified platform for engaging with participants and guests.

HUMO’s presence at Samarkand Marathon reflected the broader mission of the national payment system: to serve not only as the country’s technological infrastructure, but also as an active contributor to its social, cultural and community development.

100 HUMO Employees Take to the Starting Line

For HUMO, supporting the sporting community begins with personal involvement. Around 100 company employees, including members of senior management, took part in Samarkand Marathon 2026, demonstrating their commitment to an active lifestyle, team spirit and the pursuit of new achievements.

Employees from different departments competed in races of various distances, becoming part of a large international sporting community.

A particular achievement for the team was HUMO employee Mikhail Pavlychev’s first-place finish in the 5 km race in the 50-and-over age category.

The participation of HUMO’s corporate team highlighted an important principle: the company does not simply support socially significant initiatives; it encourages its own employees to take part, fostering a culture of personal involvement and shared responsibility.

HUMO Payment Technologies: From Discovery to Real-World Use

One of the marathon’s main attractions was HUMO’s large interactive brand zone, where modern payment technologies were presented not as solutions of the future, but as accessible tools for everyday life.

Participants and guests had the opportunity to explore the national payment system’s digital services in person and try them out right at the venue.

HUMO Face, a technology that enables users to pay for purchases through facial recognition, took centre stage.

Visitors could experience the entire user journey: download the HUMO PAY app, complete identity verification, link a bank card and make their first face payment on the spot — for example, when buying drinks.

In this way, HUMO demonstrated the practical use of biometric payments, making an innovative technology easy to understand and accessible to a broad audience.

Guests were also introduced to contactless payments using Android smartphones via HUMO PAY, as well as payment rings — a smart accessory that allows users to make purchases with a simple movement of the hand.

Especially for the marathon, HUMO prepared 400 payment rings, which were available for purchase.

A special promotion was also available to visitors to the brand zone: users who downloaded the HUMO PAY app received a bonus of UZS 5,000 to spend on purchases.

The interactive zone became a space for hands-on engagement with HUMO technologies, where every visitor could not only learn about new payment options but also experience them first-hand.

HUMO Art of Movement: Supporting Local Art and Reimagining National Identity

The creative project HUMO Art of Movement held a special place in HUMO’s presence at the marathon, bringing together modern payment technologies, sport and local art.

In collaboration with Uzbekistani artist Robiya Kodirova, HUMO developed a distinctive visual concept inspired by the energy of movement, the atmosphere of Samarkand and contemporary urban culture.

The artist’s signature style, bold colours and dynamic compositions formed the basis of a limited-edition HUMO × Xalq Banki bank card collection released especially for Samarkand Marathon 2026.

For HUMO, working with local artists is not only an opportunity to create distinctive visual solutions, but also a deliberate contribution to supporting and developing contemporary art in Uzbekistan.

As the national payment system, HUMO sees its role as including the creation of new opportunities for talented members of the creative community, bringing their work to wider audiences and integrating local art into modern products and public spaces.

The HUMO Art of Movement project demonstrates how a technology brand can become a platform for showcasing homegrown artists, supporting the creative industries and creating new points of connection between national culture and modern technology.

The artistic concept was also carried through to the design of HUMO’s brand zone, bringing the event space, digital products and limited-edition card collection together in one cohesive visual narrative.

The project therefore went beyond conventional branding, showing how art can be seamlessly integrated into everyday financial tools, bringing local creativity closer to a wider audience and making it more accessible.

Social Responsibility as Part of HUMO’s Long-Term Mission

Samarkand Marathon is not only an international sporting event, but also a major charity initiative aimed at developing accessible sports infrastructure.

Funds raised through the Samarkand Marathon series go towards building sports grounds for children in the regions where the races take place, creating more opportunities for young people to play sport and lead a healthy lifestyle.

Supporting the marathon is in line with HUMO’s long-term approach to social responsibility, which focuses on taking part in projects that deliver tangible value to society.

For the national payment system, the country’s development is about more than the technological modernisation of financial infrastructure. Equally important priorities include supporting sport, education, financial literacy and cultural initiatives, as well as preserving national heritage.

“For HUMO, taking part in Samarkand Marathon means much more than holding the title of General Partner. It is an opportunity to make a real contribution to the growth of sport, support socially significant initiatives and bring people together around shared values.

“As the national payment system, we recognise that our responsibility extends beyond developing modern financial technologies to taking an active part in the life of society. That is why it is important for us to support projects that promote sport, culture and education, while opening up new opportunities for the people of Uzbekistan.

“This year, we brought technological innovation, team participation and contemporary art together in one place. I would particularly like to highlight our collaboration with a local artist, which reflects HUMO’s commitment to supporting homegrown talent and creating new spaces for their creative expression.

“It is especially valuable that around 100 of our employees, including members of senior management, took to the marathon starting line themselves. For us, it is important not merely to support positive change, but to be a direct part of it,” said Maria Stroeva, Director of the Marketing and PR Department at HUMO.

HUMO: Technology That Brings People Together and Creates Opportunities

HUMO’s participation in Samarkand Marathon 2026 demonstrated how a national payment system can combine technological progress with support for initiatives that matter to society.

From biometric payments and digital services to the development of mass-participation sport and support for local art, HUMO is steadily expanding its presence in people’s everyday lives.

For HUMO, being the national payment system means not only providing convenient, modern payment solutions, but also helping shape the country’s future by supporting its talent, traditions and aspirations for progress.

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