Defending champion Bizuager Aderra faces former world silver medallist Judith Korir in Istanbul
Defending champion Bizuager Aderra will be challenged by former World Championships’ silver medallist Judith Korir while the 2024 winner Dejene Debela returns to the Türkiye Is Bankasi Istanbul Marathon on 1st November. This was announced by the organisers of Türkiye’s biggest road running event exactly one month before the start. Including races at shorter distances a total of around 44,000 athletes is expected to take part in the 48th edition of the race. The Gold Label Road Race of World Athletics is the world’s only intercontinental marathon, leading the runners from the Asian side over the July 15 Martyrs Bridge and into Europe before finishing in Istanbul’s old historic city centre next to the Blue Mosque. Registration for the marathon is still possible until 13th October at: https://maraton.istanbul
Not many elite runners manage to clock a personal best in the Türkiye Is Bankasi Istanbul Marathon, because the final section leading into the historic centre is uphill. But this is just perfect for some fascinating battles for victory, as was the case again last year. Four women were still in contention on the last kilometre and it was youngster Bizuager Aderra who took the honours. There was double joy for the Ethiopian since she did indeed manage to run a PB, improving by over two minutes to 2:26:19. “This was the biggest win of my life,“ said Bizuager Aderra, who said her next target will be a sub 2:20:00. She has not managed this yet and her PB from Istanbul still stands. However the 23 year-old did win her next marathon as well. She took China’s Shenyang Marathon in the summer with 2:30:21 and now focuses on defending her title on 1st November.
Another victory at the Türkiye Is Bankasi Istanbul Marathon will not come easy for Bizuager Aderra. The woman who leads the current start list is the silver medallist from the 2022 World Championships’ marathon in Eugene, Judith Korir. The Kenyan ran a superb PB of 2:18:20 in that race and and managed another sub 2:19 when she took fourth place in London later in the year in 2:18:43. This spring the 30 year-old was eighth in the Milan Marathon with 2:26:48.
Kasaneh Baze of Ethiopia and Kenya’s Veronica Maina are two athletes who ran personal bests this year. Baze took a strong third place in the Hamburg Marathon with 2:19:39 while Maina won the race in Wuhan, China, in 2:24:14. She has the advantage of knowing the Istanbul course since she was runner-up here in 2023. Back then Maina was still in contention for victory on that final uphill stretch.
It will be the third time in a row that Dejene Debela competes in the Türkiye Is Bankasi Istanbul Marathon. Featuring a personal best of 2:05:46 the 31 year-old Ethiopian celebrated his biggest career win so far when he crossed the line first on The Blue Mosque Square in 2024. When the defending champion returned last year he was in a battle for victory with Rhonzas Kilimo until the final kilometre, but then had to settle for the runner-up position behind the Kenyan. The Türkiye Is Bankasi Istanbul Marathon will be Debela’s first marathon race this year and he will be eager to regain his crown.
Belaw Yihunle is another experienced marathon runner from Ethiopia. The 28 year-old clocked a fine 2:05:57 personal best in Hamburg this spring. The two time winner of the autumn marathon in Seoul (2023 and 2024), who regularly competes in Asia and especially in China, has not been to Istanbul yet. But he did run the Izmir Marathon five years ago, finishing second. Yihunle is a very consistent marathon runner, who with the exception of 2021 has clocked sub 2:08:00 times at least once a year since 2019.
However the fastest runner on the current start list of the Türkiye Is Bankasi Istanbul Marathon is a runner who can still be considered a youngster: 23 year-old Sufaro Woliyi returns to Istanbul where was third a year ago, crossing the line just 14 seconds behind the winner. In the meantime the Ethiopian smashed his personal best when he clocked 2:04:35 in Seoul this spring. In a tight race he was just 13 seconds behind the winner but finished fifth. Sufaro Woliyi has not won a marathon yet. But this could change on 1st November in Istanbul.
More information and online entry is available at: https://maraton.istanbul
Please note: You may use the attached photo, showing Bizuager Aderra running away from Sofia Assefa close to the finish of the Türkiye Is Bankasi Istanbul Marathon in 2025, only in conjunction with this news release with the following credit: Spor Istanbul
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