More than 1,500 runners competed in a nighttime race through Istanbul’s historic Grand Bazaar on Dec. 21, marking the year’s longest night with a rare sporting event inside one of the world’s oldest covered markets.
Drawing a vibrant crowd of night-time adventurers, the night run kicked off and concluded at Çemberlitaş Square, offering a unique perspective of the city's ancient heart.
The course passed Istanbul University’s historic gate and continued through the narrow streets and interior corridors of the Grand Bazaar before looping back to the starting point.
In the first stage, runners completed three laps of the same course, totaling 5 kilometers.
Athletes who placed in the top five overall and in each age category advanced to a one-lap final stage.
All finishers received medals, while awards were presented to the top three athletes in the overall and age categories in the final stage.
In the men’s overall category, Hacı Sebahattin Çavga finished first, followed by Yusuf Taç and Doruk Öztürk. In the women’s race, Funda Karayaman took first place, with Maria Kolpakova second and Nil Meryem Aydemir third.
In western city of İzmir, thousands of people also marked the year’s longest night with a public run held along the city’s coastline.
Organized by the İzmir Municipality under the slogan “bring your light,” the 6.5-kilometer event drew thousands of sports lovers.
Around 2,000 runners and nearly 500 cyclists joined the event, many wearing illuminated accessories, costumes and light-up hats.
