Istanbul Half Marathon: Matata twin brothers claim a double triumph

A remarkable victory by twin brothers was the most important and unexpected moment of the 21st Türkiye İş Bankası Istanbul Half Marathon.

Alex Matata, the 27-year-old Kenyan runner and defending champion, won in 1:00:01, crossing the line just a stride ahead of his twin brother Charles Matata, although both were given the same official time. Türkiye’s Ali Kaya finished third with a personal best of 1:00:12, also taking the Turkish half-marathon title.

In the women’s race, Purity Gitonga of Kenya won in 1:06:50. Ethiopia’s Fotyen Zeray, the pre-race favourite, was second in 1:06:57, and South Africa’s Glenrose Xaba third in 1:07:03. Conditions were described as very favourable for fast times.

Men’s race

In the men’s race, a large group passed 10 km in 28:32. A seven-man pack then formed, including Alex Matata, Charles Matata (who had entered as a pacemaker but was allowed to continue racing), Benard Murkomen, Moses Cheruiyot, Solomon Yego, Robert Keter and Ali Kaya.

Although the course record (59:15) seemed out of reach, the Matata brothers put on an unforgettable show. They took the lead before 18 km and opened a clear gap on their rivals.

After the race Alex Matata said: “I’m happy to have defended my title, even though I raced with a minor injury. I twisted my ankle in training yesterday and wasn’t in ideal shape.”

He added that his next goal is the World Half Marathon Championships in September.

Charles Matata improved his three-year-old personal best by four seconds and said: “Running alongside my brother was fantastic, and I will keep competing in the half marathon.”

Record participation

The organiser, Spor Istanbul, said more than 19,000 runners registered — a new record for the event. The figure includes participants in the 10 km race.