START AREA

Our athletes are not waiting for a marathon start that they are used to. Our changing conditions due to the pandemic will also apply to the Start area.

We divide our athletes into groups of 500 according to the colours of their chest numbers. The groups that will start according to these colours will make 125 rows of 4 people side by side in the start area and wait in masks. Rows of 4 runners will start every 5 seconds. This means that each group’s start will take around 10 minutes. Thus, piling up in the start area and on the track will be prevented.


Start Area: 197m x 9m (1773 m2)
Line-up: 125 rows of 4 people next to each other (500 people per group)
Distance: 3m X 1.5m (4.5 m2 per person)
Type of Start: Every 4 athletes will start every 5 seconds.
Group Start: Groups of 500 people will take an average of 10 minutes (125 rows x 5 seconds) to start.

Skate Departure: 08:45
Elite Athlete Departure: 09:00
Blue Departure: 09:00 – 09:10
Green Departure: 09:10 – 09:20
Black Departure: 09:20 – 09:30
Red Departure: 09:30 – 09:40
Yellow Departure: 09:40 – 09:50
Plato Departure: 09:50 – 10:00

On the course, the athletes must wear their masks until they start. After the start, mask removal areas and mask waste bins will be positioned at 50th meter of the track and every 5 meters on the left and right starting from the 200th meter.

Istanbul Marathon is one of the best racecourses in Europe!
According to the criteria set by the International Association of Athletics Federations, only 9 marathons will be run in the Gold Label category in Europe. The Istanbul Marathon, which deserves to be in this important category, is shown among the best racecourse in Europe with its unique racecourse that connects the continents of Asia and Europe!
We are proud to be included in the Gold Label category by following the criteria set for road running by the international organization World Athletics Association!