46,000 Runners Start in Asia and Finish the Race in Europe

Runners set off on Sunday morning from Istanbul’s Asian shore, crossed the Bosphorus via the July 15 Martyrs Bridge, and finished the race in Sultanahmet Square on the European side.

This is the route of the Istanbul Marathon, the only marathon in the world that connects two continents.

According to Turkish media, 45,679 participants from 143 countries registered for the 48th edition.

The program included the full marathon (42 kilometers), a 15.5-kilometer race, as well as wheelchair, amateur, and corporate races.

In the men’s race, Kenya’s Filimon Kiptoo Kipchumba (28) won with a time of 2 hours, 8 minutes, and 45 seconds, breaking the course record set in 2019 by 59 seconds. He secured the lead on the final hills before the finish line, according to World Athletics.

Seven men completed the race in under 2 hours and 10 minutes, whereas only three runners had achieved that feat in all of the previous 47 editions, according to organizers.

The women’s race was entirely Ethiopian, with Ethiopian runners occupying the top five positions. Kasanesh Aynaw Bazi (27) won with a time of 2 hours, 24 minutes, and 41 seconds, while Deribe Hirko Alemu finished third at age 19 in her first marathon.

Each winner receives $50,000 from total prize money amounting to 12 million Turkish lira (approximately $240,000).