Press Release - Istanbul Marathon - 10/19/21

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                  N Kolay Istanbul Marathon On 7 November:
         Istanbul returns with strong elite fields and a total of 
                            over 35,000 runners

With deep elite fields and an overall total of more than 35,000 runners the 
43rd edition of the N Kolay Istanbul Marathon will go ahead on 7 November. 
Ethiopians Herpasa Negasa and Mamitu Daska head the start lists with 
personal bests of 2:03:40 and 2:21:59 respectively. The men's defending 
champion and course record holder will both be returning to the Turkish 
metropolis, where the two winners will receive a prize purse of 35,000 
US-Dollar each. The N Kolay Istanbul Marathon is an Elite Label Road Race 
of the international athletics federation, World Athletics. 

The N Kolay Istanbul Marathon was one of very few major international road 
races that was never cancelled during the pandemic. A year ago the marathon 
did take place with an elite field and a reduced mass race of 3,000 
runners. On 7 November it will look more like the marathon from 2019, when 
a record number of over 36,000 participants crossed over from Asia to 
Europe on the July 15 Martyrs Bridge in the only marathon worldwide to 
cover two continents. Now the race that includes a 15k and an 8k event is 
back to a good five figure size with an expected number of entries of over 
35,000 runners. The N Kolay Istanbul Marathon will be one of the biggest 
road races worldwide since the start of the pandemic. As last year an 
extensive hygiene concept will be in place to comply with the regulations. 

"We have been organizing both local and international races for athletes 
during the pandemic. This year we are returning to the traditional course 
at the N Kolay Istanbul Marathon. An exciting and competitive marathon 
awaits us," said Renay Onur, the Race Director and General Manager of the 
event organizer Spor Istanbul.

The current start list features ten men who have personal bests of sub 
2:08. Only a few international marathons this year were able to assemble 
such a deep field. Ethiopia's Herpasa Negasa is the fastest on the list 
with an impressive time of 2:03:40. The 28 year-old achieved this result 
when he was second in the Dubai Marathon in 2019, crossing the line just 
six seconds behind the winner of this prestigious race. 

It is common with a number of African top runners at the moment that they 
were not able to race for a longer period due to the pandemic. While 
Herpasa Negasa has not competed internationally for more than two years the 
N Kolay Istanbul Marathon will be only the second race of the year for the 
other athlete who has a personal record of sub 2:05: Mekuant Ayenew of 
Ethiopia will travel to Turkey with a PB of 2:04:46. With this time the 30 
year-old marathon specialist won the race in Sevilla in 2020. This spring 
he clocked 2:09:34 in Milan. Another Ethiopian with a very fast personal 
best is Yitayal Atnafu Zerihun who ran 2:06:21 in Dubai, where he took 
fifth place last year.

The quality of the elite field suggests that the course record could be 
under threat if weather conditions are fine on 7 November. Daniel Kibet 
established the current record when he won the N Kolay Istanbul Marathon 
two years ago with 2:09:44. The Kenyan has a personal record of 2:06:49. 
Kibet will return to the start line of Turkey's most prestigious road race 
together with the defending champion. A year ago Kenya's Benard Sang 
triumphed in Istanbul with a personal best of 2:11:49.

The women's race will have good depth as well. Eight athletes are on the 
start list with PBs of sub 2:28. Mamitu Daska ran her personal record of 
2:21:59 when she took the Frankfurt Marathon back in 2011. The Ethiopian, 
who is a former winner of the Dubai Marathon as well, has achieved half a 
dozen times of sub 2:26. While Mamitu Daska has not raced for almost two 
years Jackline Chepngeno has returned to competing internationally last 
month. The Kenyan was second in the Paris Half Marathon with 69:07. With 
her marathon PB of 2:24:38 Chepngeno is among the favorites for the N Kolay 
Istanbul Marathon. 

Two young Ethiopians are among those who could produce a surprise in 
Istanbul next month. 23 year-old Medina Deme Armino was the winner of 
China's Xiamen Marathon in 2020, when she clocked a personal best of 
2:26:12. Fetale Tsegaye, who is 23 as well, ran her best race when she was 
second in Madrid with 2:27:06 in 2019. 

It is unlikely that there could be an attack on the world-class course 
record of 2:18:35 set by Kenya's reigning World Champion Ruth Chepngetich. 
But a fast race with a number of quick times  is possible in Istanbul.

More information and online entry is available at: https://maraton.istanbul

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