May 2 Alytus will once again become the capital of sport walking – the 52nd International Festival of Sport Walking “Alytus 2026” will take place here. At the same time, it is the World Athletics Silver Tour competition and the Lithuanian Sports Walking Half Marathon Championship.

The capital of Dzūkija first invited the best walkers back in 1975, when only 19 athletes from Alytus, Birštonas and Druskininkai participated in the competition. Over more than half a century, the event has grown into an international festival that attracts athletes from all over the world. This year, it is expected to receive about 200 participants from several dozen countries. Among them are the USA, Brazil, Ethiopia and, of course, Lithuania.

The organizers of the event emphasize that Alytus is one of the first cities to combine sports and culture – the best walkers are awarded valuable cash prizes here, and the award ceremony will take place with the support of the residents of Alytus and guests of the city during the opening of the festival “Alytus 2026”.

Among other things, the informative publication “Lietuvos ėjikas” is published especially for this competition for the 37th time, which presents the results of the competition, history and immortalized moments. This publication also travels to foreign countries as a memory of Alytus and Lithuania.

The start of the competition is 9 a.m. on Pulko Street. More information and program.

The event is organized by Alytus City Municipality, Lithuanian Athletics Federation, Lithuanian Sports Walking Association and sports club “Always Move”.

Photo by Darius Kibirkščis.