THE ONLY INTERCONTINENTAL MARATHON! The Istanbul Marathon starts 300m behind the Bosphorus Bridge; the race course divides in Besiktas turnoff after passing the bridge, then goes down from Barbaros Boulevard to Besiktas, and follows the coastal road to reach Karakoy. Runners turn onto Eyup, after the Galata Bridge, and they …
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THE ONLY INTERCONTINENTAL MARATHON!
The Istanbul Marathon starts 300m behind the Bosphorus Bridge; the race course divides in Besiktas turnoff after passing the bridge, then goes down from Barbaros Boulevard to Besiktas, and follows the coastal road to reach Karakoy.
Runners turn onto Eyup, after the Galata Bridge, and they make turn right after the Feshane, and go from Unkapani Road to Yenikapi.
Race course returns from Bakirkoy and continues from coast to Gulhane Park, and goes through the park towards to the Blue Mosque. Hippodrome which, the meeting and sporting centres of Romans, Byzantium and Ottoman Empire, is finish point. The finish line is between entrance gate of Blue Mosque and Egypt Obelisk.
Running from Asia to Europe through the history of one of the oldest settlements in the world is what makes your efforts so rewarding. The distinguishing features of the city of Istanbul are its geographic location, unique natural beauty, and the great historical and cultural heritage which has come to symbolize the city. Istanbul is located on the Bosphorus peninsula, with Halic (Golden Horn) in the northwest of the country. It is the only city placed on two continents: European and Asian Regions. With a unique location, between the Balkans and Anatolia, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, Istanbul embraces both western and eastern cultures.
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Istanbul Scenery was beautiful. Passed many land marks, and the marathon website will tell you what landmarks are at what miles so you know that you’re looking at! Very beautiful … MORE
Istanbul
Scenery was beautiful. Passed many land marks, and the marathon website will tell you what landmarks are at what miles so you know that you’re looking at! Very beautiful
Terrain- I must be out of shape, bc the terrain map is embarrassingly flat for what I felt like it was. There was a small portion that was on the old stone type surface. Very uneven. And it ends on a hill, for those two I gave it a 2.
Swag: a tech shirt… that didn’t even have the year on it!! But there were two spots you could personalize. One was an iron on location. The other was embroidery (you had to buy something- even a gel – from the decathlon store) that’s was free.
A medal.
Finished bag: tote with a few water bottles, banana, granola. Granola bar.
Production- man. This was a rough one.
1- transportation. It’s a one way race…. Over a bridge, with closed roads starting 3 h before start. So- you had to take public transportation. The race did a good job of giving detailed info on how to get there, and it was free for runner. But I stayed 10 moon walk from metro (a block from the finish line) left my place at 640 and got to the race start line by 830 for a 0900 start. I highly recommend double booking a room- by the start and finish (unless you don’t mind trekking back after- in which case stay at the start- which isn’t the old town area!)
Port a potties! 30 min before the start and they were NASTY! No TP, I think half the people missed the hole! Even the ones along the route were gross and without tp (mind you I was in the back of the crowd)
Aid stations – were about every 5k. Bottled water- which made for huge tripping hazards- oranges, and bananas. Some had sugar cubes, some had sponges. No electrolytes.
Personally- other than the appeal of a transcontinental run- not a race I would recommend. The terrible production did it in for me.
Def visit Istanbul though! Beautiful historic city.
Great destination marathon
Istanbul has a rich culture and history, making it a great destination to run a marathon. It is the only marathon that covers two continents, and running across the Bosporus … MORE
Istanbul has a rich culture and history, making it a great destination to run a marathon. It is the only marathon that covers two continents, and running across the Bosporus bridge – between Asia and Europe – was a highlight. The course has some inclines, both at the start and towards the finish – with the steepest being in the last 500 meters. Plenty of water stations with bottled water, and many with sponges, apples, bananas, and sugar cubes (no sport drinks). Route is mostly along the river, and while scenic, I don’t recall many prominent landmarks. It ends at the Hippodrome, fittingly the place of gladiators and chariot races. Very good crowd support in spots. Best part was experiencing Istanbul in the days leading up to the race, the food before and after, and treating myself to a post-race Turkish bath and massage. One hassle was that the exhibition hall to pick up the bib was a hard to reach by public transport, but we managed. Overall, a fun and unique cultural experience and a well-organized race where I did a personal best (after Vienna, Florence and NYC).
Good Experience
I went with Marathon Tours. I ran in Athens the week before. Istanbul is worth it if you like history. You stay steps from the Blue Mosque and the Hagia … MORE
I went with Marathon Tours. I ran in Athens the week before. Istanbul is worth it if you like history. You stay steps from the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia. I stayed at the Ottoman, and it had a distinct odor in the hallways.
Bag placement was actually dangerous due crowds and the nuances of the drop off location, again extremely crowded.
You start by running over the Bosphorus Strait. This bridge is awesome. There is not much crowd support during the race and there was no professional photography. You end the race steps from the hotels, and the crowd support at the end is worth it, kind of like a slim gauntlet for 200 yards.