Istanbul Marathon

Course & Elevation

The Türkiye İş Bankası Istanbul Marathon is a World Athletics Gold Label marathon that starts on the Asian side of Istanbul and finishes on the European side, in the historic peninsula. It is organised by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality's youth and sports department and Spor Istanbul, was first held in 1979, and takes place on a Sunday in November. The 42K starts at 9:00 in front of the 15 July Martyrs Bridge Metrobus station. After crossing the bridge, the course goes down to the coastal road by the Beşiktaş turnoff and Barbaros Boulevard, passes over the Galata Bridge and follows Kennedy Avenue toward Bakırköy. After a turning point, runners return along the coast road and through Gülhane Park to Sultanahmet, finishing at the At Meydanı (Hippodrome) between the entrance gate of the Blue Mosque and the Obelisk. The time limit is 6 hours 20 minutes; those who finish later are not classified and cannot claim a medal. A 15.5 km race, a corporate run, a public run and a wheelchair race run on the same day. For the 48th edition on 1 November 2026, 45,679 people from 143 countries registered, among them 8,427 in the marathon.