Over 41000 athletes from 126 countries participated in the Tรผrkiye ฤฐล Bankasฤฑ 47th Istanbul Marathon on Sunday. The event, organised by Spor ฤฐstanbul, is the worldโs only intercontinental marathon, taking runners from Asia to Europe.
Listed in World Athleticsโ Gold Label category, the marathon attracted 41,416 participants. It featured 5,976 runners in the 42-kilometre race, 12,440 in the 15.5-kilometre event, 18,000 in the Corporate Run, and 5,000 in the Public Run.
Kenyaโs Lokitam Wins Menโs Title
Kenyaโs Rhonzas Lokitam Kilimo claimed victory in the menโs race, finishing the 42.195-kilometre course in 2 hours 10 minutes 12 seconds.
Last yearโs champion, Kenyan runner Dejene Debela, secured second place in 2 hours 10 minutes 23 seconds. Ethiopiaโs Sufaro Woliyi followed closely in third, completing the race in 2 hours 10 minutes 26 seconds.
Ethiopiaโs Aderra Leads Womenโs Race
Ethiopiaโs Bizuager Aderra dominated the womenโs category, crossing the finish line in 2 hours 26 minutes 19 seconds. Her compatriot Sofia Assefa finished just two seconds later, while Kenyaโs Joan Jepkosgei claimed third with a time of 2 hours 26 minutes 36 seconds.
Massive Prize Pool and Local Awards
Winners received $50,000 each, with second and third places earning $20,000 and $10,000, respectively. The total prize pool reached 9.5 million Turkish liras (about $226,000).
Top Turkish runners shared 400,000 liras ($9,515), with the first-place finisher earning 60,000 liras ($1,428). Additional prizes were awarded in wheelchair and age-group categories.
The marathonโs route began on Istanbulโs Asian side near the 15 July Martyrs Bridge and ended at Sultanahmet Square in Europe.
