🇹🇷Istanbul, Turkey
Vodafone İstanbul Marathon
Nov 1, 2026
Race facts
Next edition · 2026
Nov 1, 2026
ScheduledCourse
335 melevation gain
- Distance · surface
- 42.2 km · Road
Entry
Open entry
- Status · last recorded
- Open
Dates and entry details change. Confirm with the organiser before you book.
PB potential
Technical or hilly — come for the experience, not the time
Beginner friendly
Suitable for beginners with solid training
About this race
Istanbul's marathon offers something no other race on earth can: you start in Asia and finish in Europe, crossing the Bosphorus Strait over the suspension bridge as the sun rises over the Bosphorus. That bridge crossing alone — 1,560 metres of suspension bridge with the Asian shore behind you and the European city ahead — is worth the entry fee. The rest of the course runs through European Istanbul past landmarks including the Sultanahmet (Blue Mosque), Hagia Sophia, the Grand Bazaar, and the ancient Byzantine land walls, before finishing at Sultanahmet Square. The 335m of elevation across Istanbul's hilly European shore is challenging. November temperatures are cool at 12–18°C. The cultural immersion — mosques, minarets, call to prayer as background music — creates an atmosphere unlike any other marathon.
Typical race-day weather
Temperature
11–18°C
Humidity
65–75%
Conditions
Cool and often breezy — autumn Mediterranean
Wind
15–25 km/h, strong gusts on the bridge
Pace Band
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