FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

N Kolay Istanbul Marathon On 7 November:
Istanbul returns with strong elite fields and a total of
over 35,000 runners

With deep elite fields and an overall total of more than 35,000 runners the
43rd edition of the N Kolay Istanbul Marathon will go ahead on 7 November.
Ethiopians Herpasa Negasa and Mamitu Daska head the start lists with
personal bests of 2:03:40 and 2:21:59 respectively. The men's defending
champion and course record holder will both be returning to the Turkish
metropolis, where the two winners will receive a prize purse of 35,000
US-Dollar each. The N Kolay Istanbul Marathon is an Elite Label Road Race
of the international athletics federation, World Athletics.

The N Kolay Istanbul Marathon was one of very few major international road
races that was never cancelled during the pandemic. A year ago the marathon
did take place with an elite field and a reduced mass race of 3,000
runners. On 7 November it will look more like the marathon from 2019, when
a record number of over 36,000 participants crossed over from Asia to
Europe on the July 15 Martyrs Bridge in the only marathon worldwide to
cover two continents. Now the race that includes a 15k and an 8k event is
back to a good five figure size with an expected number of entries of over
35,000 runners. The N Kolay Istanbul Marathon will be one of the biggest
road races worldwide since the start of the pandemic. As last year an
extensive hygiene concept will be in place to comply with the regulations.

"We have been organizing both local and international races for athletes
during the pandemic. This year we are returning to the traditional course
at the N Kolay Istanbul Marathon. An exciting and competitive marathon
awaits us," said Renay Onur, the Race Director and General Manager of the
event organizer Spor Istanbul.

The current start list features ten men who have personal bests of sub
2:08. Only a few international marathons this year were able to assemble
such a deep field. Ethiopia's Herpasa Negasa is the fastest on the list
with an impressive time of 2:03:40. The 28 year-old achieved this result
when he was second in the Dubai Marathon in 2019, crossing the line just
six seconds behind the winner of this prestigious race.

It is common with a number of African top runners at the moment that they
were not able to race for a longer period due to the pandemic. While
Herpasa Negasa has not competed internationally for more than two years the
N Kolay Istanbul Marathon will be only the second race of the year for the
other athlete who has a personal record of sub 2:05: Mekuant Ayenew of
Ethiopia will travel to Turkey with a PB of 2:04:46. With this time the 30
year-old marathon specialist won the race in Sevilla in 2020. This spring
he clocked 2:09:34 in Milan. Another Ethiopian with a very fast personal
best is Yitayal Atnafu Zerihun who ran 2:06:21 in Dubai, where he took
fifth place last year.

The quality of the elite field suggests that the course record could be
under threat if weather conditions are fine on 7 November. Daniel Kibet
established the current record when he won the N Kolay Istanbul Marathon
two years ago with 2:09:44. The Kenyan has a personal record of 2:06:49.
Kibet will return to the start line of Turkey's most prestigious road race
together with the defending champion. A year ago Kenya's Benard Sang
triumphed in Istanbul with a personal best of 2:11:49.

The women's race will have good depth as well. Eight athletes are on the
start list with PBs of sub 2:28. Mamitu Daska ran her personal record of
2:21:59 when she took the Frankfurt Marathon back in 2011. The Ethiopian,
who is a former winner of the Dubai Marathon as well, has achieved half a
dozen times of sub 2:26. While Mamitu Daska has not raced for almost two
years Jackline Chepngeno has returned to competing internationally last
month. The Kenyan was second in the Paris Half Marathon with 69:07. With
her marathon PB of 2:24:38 Chepngeno is among the favorites for the N Kolay
Istanbul Marathon.

Two young Ethiopians are among those who could produce a surprise in
Istanbul next month. 23 year-old Medina Deme Armino was the winner of
China's Xiamen Marathon in 2020, when she clocked a personal best of
2:26:12. Fetale Tsegaye, who is 23 as well, ran her best race when she was
second in Madrid with 2:27:06 in 2019.

It is unlikely that there could be an attack on the world-class course
record of 2:18:35 set by Kenya's reigning World Champion Ruth Chepngetich.
But a fast race with a number of quick times is possible in Istanbul.

More information and online entry is available at: https://maraton.istanbul

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