Thousands run in 38th Istanbul Marathon

Thousands of people ran in the Vodafone Istanbul Marathon from the Asian continent to the European, commemorating people killed by putschist soldiers during the failed July 15 coup attempt. 

The marathon hosted 90 elite athletes, including 28 top Turkish runners, as well as thousands of people who just want to challenge themselves by running 42 kilometers (26 miles).        

Turkey's Youth and Sports Minister Akif Çağatay Kılıç, Family and Social Policies Minister Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya, Istanbul Governor Vasip Şahin and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Kadir Topbaş gave the starting signal at 9 a.m. local time. Starting pistols were not used out of respect for the people killed in the deadly July coup plot.        

A total of 256 people were killed and nearly 2,200 others were injured during the events of July 15.     

The Istanbul Marathon featured 15km and 10km events. A free 8km Heroes Run saw people casually race or just walk along the Bosphorus. A race for wheelchair-bound competitors was also organized. 

The races started on the Asian side of the July 15 Martyrs' Bridge, formerly known as the Bosphorus Bridge, and ended on the historic European side. The marathon ended in Sultanahmet Square; the 15km and 10km races finished in the nearby Eminönü neighborhood. The Heroes Run ended in front of the Ottoman-era Dolmabahçe Palace.           

Plenty of people were seen having breakfast while viewing the Bosphorus view on the bridge. Taking selfies was also a common activity, as well as celebrating birthdays on this annual event. 

Interesting scenes were also seen during the run, with several people playing backgammon and arriving to the marathon with their brides dresses.

Emel Korkmaz,...