More than 1,500 runners raced through Istanbul’s historic Grand Bazaar on the evening of 21 December, marking the longest night of the year with a rare sporting event in one of the world’s oldest covered markets.
The night event drew a large crowd of night-adventure enthusiasts. It started and finished at Çemberlitaş Square, on a route offering a unique view of the city’s historic heart. The course passed through the historic gate of Istanbul University, then through the narrow alleys and inner corridors of the Grand Bazaar, and returned to the start. In the first stage, runners completed three laps of the course, totalling 5 kilometres.
Athletes who finished in the top five overall and in each age group advanced to the final, a single-lap race. All finishers received medals, and prizes were awarded in the final stage to the top three overall and in each age group. In the men’s race, Hacı Sabahattin Çava won, with Yusuf Taş and Doruk Öztürk second and third. In the women’s race, Funda Karayaman took first place, with Maria Kolpakova and Nil Meryem Aydemir second and third.
Meanwhile, in the western city of İzmir, thousands marked the longest night of the year with a public run along the city’s waterfront. The 6.5-kilometre event, organised by İzmir Municipality under the slogan “Bring your light”, brought together thousands of sports enthusiasts. About 2,000 runners and nearly 500 cyclists took part, many wearing glowing accessories, special costumes and headlamps.
