Objective of the study was to substantiate the role of "Tomsk International Marathon" (TIM) sports event in popularizing competitive activities of athletes living in different environments. Methods and structure of the study. Proceeding from the analysis of normative documents and statistical data, we analyzed the activities of the running community of the Tomsk International Marathon. The study also included an online survey of 1,000 members of the running community. The authors note that the Tomsk International Marathon has been held in Tomsk since 2018. It complies with the AIMS (Association of International Marathons and Runs) and WA (World Athletics) rules. The organizer is the running community of the Tomsk International Marathon. Results and discussion. The analysis revealed a tendency towards a positive impact of sports events to popularize running on the engagement of the population in sports activities. The survey showed the advisability of the work carried out by the running community. The authors conclude that sports is a powerful tool for stimulating and developing human potential and for promoting a healthy lifestyle. The sports community as a social organization can, in a short period of time, change people’s attitudes towards regular sports activities. The activities of the running community can increase the motivation for the new format of competitive activities, in particular, the online one in terms of physical dysfunction of the population.