History

How It All Started

Eurasia Marathon is the result of hope and enthusiastic expectations for athletics. At the beginning, the main intention was simply to organise a marathon event. Being a unique city in terms of history and geography, Istanbul deserved a unique marathon. Despite the financial and logistical problems, an initial project was set up for the Eurasia Marathon.  In 1978,  the officials were informed that a group of German tourists would visit Istanbul the next year, who run marathons in the countries they visited, the Nile Marathon in Egypt being the most recent race they participated. It was then decided to realise the Eurasia Marathon project.  Having solved the problems with the course and the traffic, the organisers invited the elite Turkish athletes to the event as well. Finally, all preparations were completed and the marathoners whom 34 of them were from the 74-person tourist group gathered at the starting point, 700 meters behind the Bosphorous Bridge on that historical day. Thus, the Bosphorous Bridge witnessed a marathon for the first time in its history, which the runners crossed from Asia to Europe. That was the beginning of an important event. The first Eurasia Marathon was won by Hasan Saylan, a Turkish athlete from the city of Zonguldak, in a time of 2:35:39.  Being organized for 30 years, one of the most important features of the Eurasia Marathon is that it aims friendship and peace since day one. The race course changed three times over the years, therefore winning times vary in those periods. Well known athletes such as Ian Thompson and Terry Mitchell participated in the Eurasia Marathon, which also became a testing ground for Turkish athletes, many of whom went on to run at international races.


1979

1

Hasan Saylan (TUR)

2.35.39

 

1980

1

Necmettin Sağlam (TUR)

2.36.00

 

2

Bayram Hadi (TUR)

2.39.56

 

3

Halil Ekici (TUR)

2.51.00

 

1981

1

Süleyman Sılacı (TUR)

2.31.40

 

2

Veli Ballı (TUR)

2.36.53

 

3

Cemal Polat (TUR)

2.41.50

 

1982

1

İsmail Karagöz (TUR)

2.41.13

 

2

Abdülkadir Moralı (TUR)

2.45.15

 

3

İbrahim Şimşek (TUR)

2.51.02

 

1983

1

Ion Thompson (GB)

2.23.35

 

2

Nick Agrapopulas (TUR)

2.25.00

 

3

Gerry Stauton (TUR)

2.25.20

 

1984

1

Mehmet Yurdadön (TUR)

2.22.30

 

2

Sefa Het (TUR)

2.24.01

 

3

Sadık Salman (TUR)

2.25.40

 

1985

1

Mehmet Terzi (TUR)

2.12.50

 

2

Ahmet Altun (TUR)

2.17.30

 

3

Mihlat Şahin (TUR)

2.26.28

 

1986

1

Hanefi Atmaca (TUR)

2.23.20

 

2

İbrahim Atıcı (TUR)

2.26.49

 

3

Mehmet Kuş (TUR)

2.26.53

 

 

1987

1

Jeus Worsner (DEN)

2.16.08

 

2

Kristov Niedzionka

2.16.42

 

3

Sefa Het (TUR)

2.17.48

 

1988

1

Ahmet Altun (TUR)

2.15.06

 

2

Mithat Şahin (TUR)

2.15.20

 

3

İbaijoviç (YUG)

2.15.47

 

1989

1

Aydın Çeken (TUR)

2.27.41

 

2

İbrahim Atıcı (TUR)

2.39.40

 

3

İsmet Dönmez (TUR)

2.40.09

 

1990

1

Gazi Aşıkoğlu (TUR)

2.23.09

 

2

Mehmet Bayram (TUR)

2.24.53

 

3

Aydın Çeken (TUR)

2.25.35

 

1991

MEN

1

Terry Mitchell(GB)

2.23.28

 

2

Mehmet Bayram (TUR)

2.23.51

 

3

Cihangir Demirel (TUR)

2.24.14

 

WOMEN

1

Jacki Davis (GB)

2.49.24

 

2

M. Amina (RUS)

2.50.25

 

3

L. Raymonds

2.51.56

 

1992

MEN

1

Cihangir Demirel (TUR)

2.23.28

 

2

Adri Hartvel (NL)

2.23.51

 

3

Terry Mitchell (GB)

2.24.14

 

WOMEN

1

Buia Aurica (ROM)

2.26.29

 

2

Anuta Canuta (ROM)

2.46.36

 

3

Galina Goronova (BUL)

2.47.32

 

1993

MEN

1

Jacop Ngunzu (KEN)

2.20.43

 

2

Igor Braslavski (UKR)

2.21.32

 

3

Cihangir Demirel (TUR)

2.23.23

 

WOMEN

1

Elena Spetova (RUS)

2.48.10

 

2

Simon Lidia (ROM)

2.52.03

 

3

Galina Goronova (BUL)

2.52.50

 

1994

MEN

1

B. Goromonzi (ZİM)

2.24.58

 

2

Julius Sumave (TAN)

2.25.07

 

3

Haydar Doğan (TUR)

2.25.14

 

WOMEN

1

Serap Aktaş (TUR)

2.46.42

 

2

Nina Kovrizkena (UKR)

2.46.45

 

3

Marina Ivanova (RUS)

2.49.10

 

1995

MEN

1

Stephen Langart (KEN)

2.17.26

 

2

Zeki Öztürk (TUR)

2.18.34

 

3

Lemmi Cengere (ETP)

2.19.46

 

WOMEN

1

Firaya Sultanova (RUS)

2.34.44

 

2

Galina Goronova (BUL)

2.35.05

 

3

Irina Yagodina (UKR)

2.37.07

 

1996

MEN

1

Stephen Langart (KEN)

2.18.51

 

2

Jacop Ngunzu (KEN)

2.19.40

 

3

Anatoly Archakov (RUS)

2.19.58

 

WOMEN

1

P. Elena

2.37.38

 

2

Linda Milo (BEL)

2.40.37

 

3

Lale Öztürk (TUR)

2.41.39

 

1997

MEN

1

Taye Moges (ETP)

2.13.37

 

2

Stephen Langart (KEN)

2.14.48

 

3

Adam Szanowicz (POL)

2.18.09

 

WOMEN

1

Adriana Barbu (ROM)

2.34.39

 

2

N. Galushka (BLS)

2.35.58

 

3

I.Nadeshda (RUS)

2.36.15

 

1998

MEN

1

Taye Moges(ETP)

2.15.28

 

2

Stephen Langart(KEN)

2.16.13

 

3

Sambu Andrea(TAN)

2.16.55

 

WOMEN

1

N. Galushka (BLS)

2.38.10

 

2

Adriana Barbu (ROM)

2.40.14

 

3

Serap Aktaş (TUR)

2.41.00

 

1999

MEN

1

Taye Moges (ETP)

2.13.55

 

2

Stephen Langart (KEN)

2.14.21

 

3

William Koech (KEN)

2.14.34

 

WOMEN

1

Florina Pana(ROM) derecesi iptal edildi.

2.35.54

 

2

Adriana Barbu (ROM)

2.35.57

 

3

Natalia Galushka (BLS)

2.36.13

 

4

Irina Permitina

2.38.12

 

2000

MEN

1

Rop Josephat (KEN)

2.17.03

 

2

Taye Moges (ETP)

2.18.21

 

3

Frans Chauke (G.AFR.)

2.18.43

 

WOMEN

1

Rodica Chirata (ROM)

2.37.39

 

2

Dita Costantina (ROM)

2.37.57

 

3

Natalia Galushko (B.R.)

2.38.17

 

2001

MEN

1

Turbe Bedaso (ETP)

2.18.21

 

2

Sreten Ninkovic (YUG)

2.18.22

 

3

Mohammed Erraoui (FAS)

2.18.35

 

WOMEN

1

Ludmila Puskina (UKR)

2.38.21

 

2

Mehtap Sızmaz (TUR)

2.39.13

 

3

Milka Mihailova (BUL)

2.40.39

 

2002

MEN

1

David Kiptanui (KEN)

2.18.42

 

2

Frans Chauke (G.AF.)

2.18.51

 

3

Belay Velasha (ETP)

2.19.37

 

WOMEN

1

Rimma Dubovik (UKR)

2.37.20

 

2

Svetlana Tkach (MOL)

2.37.57

 

3

Irina Permitina (RUS)

2.40.50

 

2003

MEN

1

Belay Welashe (ETH)

2.18.42

 

2

Oleg Strijakov (RUS)

2.18.48

 

3

Bedasso Turbe (ETH)

2.18.54

 

WOMEN

1

Rimma Dubovik (UKR)

2.36.49

 

2

Svetlana Tkach (MOL)

2.38.34

 

3

Irina Permitina (RUS)

2.39.41

 

2004

MEN

1

David Kiptanui (KEN)

2.18.19

 

2

Kostantin Permitin (RUS)

2.18.25

 

3

Yuriy Hychun (UKR)

2.18.35

 

WOMEN

1

Svetlana Demidenko (RUS)

2.34.25

 

2

Zhanna Malkova (RUS)

2.39.36

 

3

Olga Glok (RUS)

2.42.45

 

2005

MEN

1

Joseph Mbithi (KEN)

2.15.13

 

2

H. Koech Kipkering (KEN)

2.15.47

 

3

B. Mutisya Mbithi (KEN)

2.19.37

 

WOMEN

1

Madina Biktagirova (RUS)

2.34.25

 

2

Natalia Volgina (RUS)

2.36.42

 

3

Zhanna Malkova (RUS)

2.37.33

 

2006

MEN

1

Mindaugas Pukstas (LTU)

2.12.49

 

2

Andriy Naumov (UKR)

2.12.56

 

3

Sergey Lukin (RUS)

2.13.06

 

WOMEN

1

Madina Biktagirova (RUS)

2.28.18

 

2

Liliya Yadzhak (RUS)

2.29.19

 

3

Natalia Volgina (RUS)

2.30.04

 

2007

MEN

1

David E. Cheruiyot (KEN)

2.10.56

 

2

M.Windot Yatich (KEN)

2.11.02

 

3

Tarıku Jufar (ETH)

2.11.04

 

WOMEN

1

A.Bayisa Tesema (ETH)

2.29.05

 

2

Malgorzata Sobanska (POL)

2.31.08

 

3

Olga Glok (RUS)

2.31.10

 

2008

MEN

1

Kasime Adilo Roba (ETH)

2.11.16

 

2

Lishan Yigezu Fanta (ETH)

2.11.37

 

3

Iaroslav Musinchi (MOL)

2.11.43

 

WOMEN

1

Nailya Yulamanova (RUS)

2.30.17

 

2

Yuliya Gromova (RUS)

2.31.36

 

3

Mehtap Sızmaz (TUR)

2.33.17

 

2009

MEN

1

Kasime Adilo Roba (ETH)

2.12.14

 

2

Faisal Bader Shebto (KAT)

2.12.54

 

3

Joseph Kahugu (KEN)

2.13.32

 

WOMEN

1

Bizunesh Urgesa (ETH)

2.32.45

 

2

Ashu Kasim (ETH)

2.34.54

 

3

Svetlana Semova (RUS)

2.37.04

 

2010

MEN

1

Vincent Kiplagat (KEN)

2.10.39

 

2

D.Yadete Woldegıyorgıs (ETH)

2.11.53

 

3

Gırma Assefa (ETH)

2.13.37

 

WOMEN

1

Ashu Kasım (ETH)

2.27.25

 

2

Alemıtu Abera (ETH)

2.27.54

 

3

Amane Gobena (ETH)

2.32.28

 

2011

MEN

1

Vincent Kiplagat (KEN)

2.10.58

 

2

Tariku Jufar (ETH)

2.11.31

 

3

Tsegay Gebreselassie (ETH)

2.13.39

 

WOMEN

1

Alemitu Abera (ETH)

2.27.56

 

2

Fatuma Sado (ETH)

2.28.01

 

3

Tsega Gelaw (ETH)

2.28.38