The Baku Marathon 2016 is a fantastic event for the city, said Gordon Birrell, BP's regional president for Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.

"The marathon is very well organized," Birrell, participating in the marathon, told local media on May 1. "I think the routes will be through a beautiful part of the city and this is going to be a fantastic day."

He stressed that so many BP employees can participate in the marathon.

"If I can run a half marathon in less than two hours, I will be very happy," he added, while answering a question about the results he hopes to achieve at the marathon.

The Baku Marathon 2016, organized at the initiative of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, kicked off on May 1.

The course of the marathon covers a distance of 21 kilometers from its start point at the Flag Square to the finish line at the Baku Olympic Stadium.

The marathon started at 10:00 (UTC/GMT +4 hours). It will take a maximum of four hours and a half to overcome a 21 kilometer-distance.

The event's main goal is to assist the development of sports in Azerbaijan, promote healthy lifestyle, especially, among the youth, and bring them together for a good cause.

The funds to be received from the Baku Marathon 2016 will be spent on the Heydar Aliyev Foundation's project for the children deprived of parental care.