Istanbul Marathon

Location: Istanbul, Turkey

Date: 1 November, 2026

Distance:

One marathon, two continents! The Istanbul Marathon spans the continents of Asia and Europe, the course crossing the magnificent Bosporus Bridge. Experience of the world’s great cities – exotic, cosmopolitan and uniquely situated between Europe and Asia. Perfectly situated to continue your travels in Europe!  

Istanbul is an exotic city of 13 million people. The old city is surrounded by mosques and castles and is divided by the Golden Horn, an inlet of the Bosporus. The city is serviced by an efficient tram line and a great way to see all the sights is by the tried and true Red Bus tour. The magnificent Blue Mosque sits above a city that is never ending in its options. Try a ferry up the Bosporus, walk through the Spice Markets, dawdle in the Grand Bazaar (avoiding the many purveyors of fine Persian rugs), catch a local bus and simply enjoy this cosmopolitan city.

With a unique location, between the Balkans and Anatolia, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, Istanbul embraces both western and eastern cultures.

The course is asphalt, mostly flat and will be traffic free. It is the only course in the world where you can run from one continent to another. All events start on the Asian side of Istanbul and end on the European side on route passing the most beautiful sights of the city.

If you would prefer to search on hotels located closer to the start/finish area, click on the Event Website button to find these details. You can then type the address information into the location field of the map below, to find accommodation closer to the start finish. The location field is the top red bar on the map below.