Sports · Running & Athletics · 1 day ago
Istanbul Marathon praised for its route but criticized for logistics and plastic
A runner who took part in the Istanbul Marathon’s 15.5-kilometer race says the event offered both memorable moments and avoidable problems.
The race starts on Istanbul’s Asian side and finishes in Europe, crossing a bridge that is normally used by cars.
The ferry ride across the Bosporus brought runners together, but its delay left some arriving too late for the bag-drop deadline.
At the start, toilets, bag drop and course entry were crowded together, creating queues and slow-moving crowds.
The runner says organizers could separate these areas and adjust bag-drop plans to match ferry schedules.
The account also criticizes thousands of plastic bottles handed out at water stations, which runners tossed onto the road after drinking.
The race has grown from a niche event into one that attracts families, company teams, running clubs and first-time runners.
The Istanbul Marathon offers runners a route that starts in Asia, crosses the Bosporus Bridge and finishes in Europe.
A Daily Sabah contributor praised the race’s ferry crossing and the city’s distinctive route.
The contributor also criticized delays on the ferry and crowding around the bag drop, toilets and course entrance.
The article said thousands of plastic bottles were handed out at water stations and discarded on the road.
The contributor suggested changes to the race’s logistics, including separating queues and coordinating bag-drop deadlines with boat schedules.
- Who
- Runners taking part in the Istanbul Marathon, including the Daily Sabah contributor.
- What
- The contributor praised the route and ferry crossing, while criticizing race logistics and plastic waste.
- When
- The article was published on November 8, 2026; the contributor says the race was a week earlier.
- Where
- Istanbul, Türkiye, across the Bosporus from the Asian side to the European side.
- Why
- The contributor says the route is memorable, but ferry delays, crowded facilities and discarded plastic caused problems.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The contributor took a ferry across the Bosporus with other runners to reach the race start on the Asian side.
The ferry crossing took longer than planned, and many runners arrived too late for the bag-drop deadline.
Runners encountered crowding where the course entrance, bag drop and toilets were placed together.
Thousands of half-full plastic bottles were handed out at water stations and thrown onto the road.
- Race distance
- The contributor entered the 15.5-kilometer race
- Route
- Starts in Asia and finishes in Europe
- Ferry crossing
- Across the Bosporus
- Race logistics
- Bag drop, toilets and course entrance were in the same small space
- Plastic bottles
- Thousands handed out at water stations