Sports & Recreation

Pulse of the City & Nature

From the electric atmosphere of the City Stadium to the tranquil peaks of Golija, discover how Novi Pazar stays in motion.

The city's sporting calendar

The fixtures that come round every year, with an explanation of what each one is and when to look for it. Whatever is next, or already under way, is picked out in colour.

Running
The Pazar Half Marathon
The city's largest sporting event: three races through Novi Pazar on the last Sunday of October.
Three distances are run — the 21.1-kilometre half marathon, ten kilometres and five — through closed city streets. It is organised by the City of Novi Pazar, the Novi Pazar athletics club and the city sports institution, with entries opening a few weeks before race day.
The race is growing fast: the third edition ran on 29 October 2023 and added a one-kilometre race for people with disabilities, the fourth on 27 October 2024, and the fifth on 26 October 2025 with over 1,600 participants. A sixth is announced for 2026.
When
The last Sunday in October; the organiser announces the exact date
Where
The streets of Novi Pazar
Distances
21.1 km, 10 km and 5 km
Latest edition
The fifth, 26 October 2025
Participants
Over 1,600 in 2025
Organiser
The City of Novi Pazar, AK Novi Pazar and the sports institution
Sources:Ustanova za sport Novi Pazar Trka.rs — 5. Pazarski polumaraton SANA — 5. Drum Panorama Pazarski polumaraton
Five-a-side
The Ramadan five-a-side tournament
Played in the Pendik hall every Ramadan, with teams from across the Sandžak and from Bosnia — the thirty-second edition ran in 2026.
Matches are played in the evenings right through the month of fasting, in every age group — from the youngest, born in 2018, to veterans over 35. It runs as a group stage followed by knockout rounds, organised by the city sports institution.
By entries — 185 teams in 2025 — this is the biggest sporting gathering in the city. For many it is as much a social occasion as a competition: the hall is full, and Ramadan evenings are when people go out anyway.
When
During Ramadan; the dates move each year with the lunar calendar
Where
The Pendik hall
Edition
The 32nd, in 2026
Teams
185 in 2025
Age groups
From the youngest to veterans over 35
Sources:Ustanova za sport Novi Pazar — Ramazanski turnir Ustanova za sport Novi Pazar
About the Pendik hall
Swimming
The city pool's summer season
The pool in the sports park opens for the summer, with recreational sessions, women-only sessions and a swimming school.
The season is run by the city sports institution: besides daily swimming, the timetable holds sessions reserved for women, recreational slots and a swimming school for children. The pool sits in the sports park, about ten minutes' walk from the centre.
When
Over the summer, usually June to September; the sports institution publishes the timetable
Where
The city pool in the sports park
Sessions
Daily, women-only, recreational and swimming school
Where
The sports park, near the centre
Sources:Ustanova za sport Novi Pazar
About the pool
Football
FK Novi Pazar home matches
The club plays in the Serbian SuperLiga, and its home matches are at the City Stadium.
FK Novi Pazar, known in town as the Blues, is the best-attended sport in the city. The SuperLiga season runs from late July to May with a winter break, and the fixture list is published by the club — matches are not always on the same day of the week, so check before you turn up.
When
The SuperLiga season, late July to May; the club publishes the fixtures
Where
The City Stadium
Division
Serbian SuperLiga
Nickname
The Blues
Sources:Wikipedia — FK Novi Pazar
About the stadium

Only events we could verify with the organiser are listed here. The city sports institution runs or supports dozens of events a year — ask them for the full list and the exact dates.