Photo: Alikam1896, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons▶Türkiye İş Bankası İstanbul Maratonu
İstanbul, Türkiye48th edition · since 1979Choose the distanceTap a distance: the course, fees, times and rules below update for that race.
At a glance
Türkiye İş Bankası İstanbul Maratonu 2026 takes place on 1 November 2026 in İstanbul, Türkiye. Distances: 42.195 km, 15.5 km, 6.5 km. Start at 09:00 from Davanti alla fermata Metrobüs del ponte 15 Temmuz Şehitler Köprüsü (sponda asiatica).
- Date
- Sunday, 1 November 2026
- Location
- İstanbul, Türkiye
- Start
- Davanti alla fermata Metrobüs del ponte 15 Temmuz Şehitler Köprüsü (sponda asiatica)
- Finish
- Sultanahmet Meydanı (At Meydanı), tra la Moschea Blu e l'Obelisco
- Distances
- Marathon · 42.195 km · Competitive
- 15.5K · Competitive
- Halk Koşusu · 6.5 km · Non-competitive
- Start times
- Maratona 09:00 · 15.5K 09:19 · Halk Koşusu 12:14
- Registration
- Sold out
- Official website
- maraton.istanbul ↗
- Edition
- 48th edition · since 1979
- Series
- World Athletics Gold Label · Boston qualifier · World Marathon Majors qualifier
Last updated: 19 October 2026
The race
The Türkiye İş Bankası İstanbul Maratonu is the only marathon in the world that links two continents: it starts in Asia, crosses the Bosphorus on the 15 Temmuz Şehitler Köprüsü bridge and finishes in Europe, on Sultanahmet Meydanı. Born in 1979 as the "Asia-Europe Run", it is organised by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and holds a World Athletics Gold Label.
The 48th edition takes place on Sunday 1 November 2026: the marathon at 9:00, then the 15.5K in three waves from 9:19 finishing at Yenikapı, and the 6.5 km Halk Koşusu public run. The marathon course drops down to Dolmabahçe, crosses the Galata Bridge and follows the coast to Bakırköy before returning among the monuments of the old city.
A qualifying time is required for the 42K and 15.5K, and 2026 entries are sold out. Race kits are collected from 29 to 31 October, and on race day the municipality's public transport is free with your bib.
Videos
The start is on the Asian side, about 250 metres before the toll booths in front of the Metrobüs stop of the 15 Temmuz Şehitler Köprüsü bridge: the first kilometre crosses the Bosphorus into Europe.
Marathon
After the bridge the course takes the Beşiktaş exit, drops down Barbaros Bulvarı to the coast and passes İnönü Stadium and Dolmabahçe Palace; then Fındıklı, Tophane and Karaköy to the Galata Bridge (km 9). It turns towards Sirkeci and follows the coastal road along Kennedy Caddesi through Cankurtaran, Kumkapı, Yenikapı, Yedikule, Zeytinburnu and Bakırköy to the turning point at the Air Force Academy (km 28). It returns along the same coast, enters Gülhane Park (km 40) and finishes on Sultanahmet Meydanı, the old Hippodrome, between the Blue Mosque and the Obelisk.
- km 5 Naval Museum, km 6 Dolmabahçe, km 10 New Mosque, Egyptian Bazaar and Sirkeci station
- km 11 Topkapı, km 12 Ahırkapı lighthouse, km 13 Little Hagia Sophia, km 27 Baruthane
- The course closes at 15:20
15.5K and Halk Koşusu
The 15.5K follows the same route to the Sirkeci, Cankurtaran and Kumkapı coast and finishes at Yenikapı. The Halk Koşusu (6.5 km) starts from the bridge, runs down Barbaros Bulvarı and finishes between Beşiktaş's Tüpraş Stadium and Dolmabahçe.
Entry fees
- Until 31 January 20261° periodo (6-31 gennaio). Prezzo per gli stranieri sul sito inglese: 60 €TRY 750
- Until 31 May 20262° periodo (1 febbraio - 31 maggio); stranieri 80 €TRY 950
- Until 31 July 20263° periodo (1 giugno - 31 luglio); stranieri 100 €TRY 1,200
- Until 13 October 20264° periodo (1 agosto - 13 ottobre); stranieri 120 €. Iscrizioni esauriteTRY 1,400
What's included
- Chip timing
- Aid stations
- Bag drop
Rules and requirements
Who can take part
- Marathon: aged 18 or over on 1 November 2026
- Halk Koşusu: from 14 years
- Only runners with a bib are allowed on the course: no children under 16, strollers, pets, scooters or bikes
Qualifying times
To enter the 42K you need, in the last 2 years, a marathon in 6:20 or a half marathon in 3:25, or in the last year a 15K in 2:15. For the 15.5K the same times apply, plus a 10K in 1:30 in the last year.
- Results must come from road races with a course measured and approved by the Turkish Athletics Federation, or from races abroad
- Runners without a result in a Spor İstanbul race upload a certificate or results page; checks take up to 3 working days
- Trail races do not count
Fees and entry
Entries in four periods from 6 January to 13 October 2026: TL 750, 950, 1,200 and 1,400; on the English site foreign runners pay €60, 80, 100 and 120. 2026 entries for the 42K and 15.5K are sold out. Category changes are not allowed.
Kits and transport
42K and 15.5K kits are collected from 29 to 31 October at the Dr. Mimar Kadir Topbaş Gösteri ve Sanat Merkezi. On race day the municipality's public transport is free with your bib; there are no runner buses from Taksim and Sultanahmet to the start.
