Ankara hosts Grand Atatürk Run to mark 106 years since founder’s arrival

ANKARA

Ankara has marked the 106th anniversary of modern Türkiye founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s arrival in the province with the 90th edition of the Grand Atatürk Run, a long-standing road race that has become a centerpiece of the capital’s annual commemorations.

One of the country’s oldest continuous sporting events, the race was run from Dikmen Keklikpınarı to the historic Ankara Train Station on Dec. 28, retracing the symbolic route associated with Atatürk’s arrival in the city on Dec. 27, 1919.

Tracing a 10.8-kilometer route, the Grand Atatürk Run has continued without interruption for nearly nine decades since it was first organized in 1936 with Atatürk’s official approval.

Speaking during events surrounding the race, Turkish Athletics Federation President Ahmet Karadağ said the run represents more than athletic competition, describing it as a living expression of the values that shaped the Turkish Republic.

He said the event brings together elite athletes and amateur runners in a shared public space, linking sport with national memory.

Alongside the race, a series of official and cultural events were held across Ankara throughout the week to commemorate Atatürk’s arrival, widely regarded as a significant point in the Turkish War of Independence.

Ankara Governor Vasip Şahin led an official delegation to Anıtkabir, Atatürk’s mausoleum, where a wreath was laid at the tomb and a message was signed in the memorial’s special register.

In his remarks, Şahin described Atatürk’s decision to make Ankara the center of the independence movement as a defining moment in the formation of the modern Turkish state.

Traditional Seymen ceremonies, representing an ancient brotherhood of local volunteer militias and cultural guardians unique to Ankara, also featured prominently in the commemorations.

Folk dancers dressed in traditional attire marched in procession from the Ankara Train Station to Ulus Square, recreating the reception given to Atatürk by local residents in 1919.

Additional ceremonies were held at Dikmen Keklikpınarı, the site where these Seymen groups historically welcomed Atatürk upon his arrival in the capital.

Military institutions marked the anniversary with commemorative runs organized by the Turkish Armed Forces.

Cadets and officers carried Turkish flags and portraits of Atatürk along routes ending at Anıtkabir, drawing crowds of onlookers who applauded from streets and balconies.

Cultural events were also staged in the city center, including traditional fire rituals and folk dances organized by civic groups, reinforcing the link between Ankara’s local traditions and the national independence narrative.