A race that closes a bridge between two continents and funnels tens of thousands of runners through the historic core is also a logistical and civic undertaking.
More than 45,000 runners took to the streets of Istanbul for the 48th edition of the city's marathon, according to TRT World, in an event the broadcaster describes as the world's only intercontinental race. A total of 45,679 participants competed across five categories: the 42km marathon, a 15.5km race, a corporate run, a public run and a wheelchair race.
The course begins at the July 15 Martyrs Bridge on the Asian side of the city. Marathon runners cross into Europe and pass through historic districts before finishing at Sultanahmet Square. The route's geography is the source of the race's distinctive billing, and the event holds World Athletics Gold Label status, a classification the report cites without further detail on the criteria behind it.
The field was international in reach. Participants came from 143 countries, the report says, a figure that places the Istanbul race among the more broadly subscribed mass-participation events on the global calendar. Alongside the amateur and public entrants, 43 elite athletes competed, comprising 27 men and 16 women. The winners of the men's and women's 42km races will each receive $50,000 in prize money.
The scale of the event matters beyond sport. A race that closes a bridge between two continents and funnels tens of thousands of runners through the historic core is also a logistical and civic undertaking, and a showcase for a city that positions itself as a crossroads between Europe and Asia. The Gold Label status and the international entry numbers serve that positioning as much as they serve the athletes.
Several details are not established in the material available. The report does not name the winners of any category, give finishing times, or state how many entrants completed the full 42km distance. It does not specify the total prize fund beyond the two headline figures, nor whether the wheelchair race carried comparable awards. The date of the event is given only through the article's publication timestamp of 1 November 2026.
What the report does confirm is a field of 45,679 across five disciplines, drawn from 143 countries, with a Gold Label attached and a substantial prize for the elite marathon winners. For a race defined by crossing a strait, the numbers suggest the pull remains strong.
