Istanbul Marathon 2026

The Istanbul Marathon is expected to take place on Sunday, November 1, 2026. It is the only marathon in the world run across two continents, starting on the Asian side near the 15 Temmuz Şehitler (15 July Martyrs) Bridge and finishing in Europe around Sultanahmet. The event includes the full 42.195 km marathon, plus 15K and shorter fun-run distances. Confirm the exact date and registration details on the official race website.

Runners gather on the Asian side and cross the 15 Temmuz Şehitler Bridge over the Bosphorus — the only day of the year the bridge is open to people on foot — before the route winds through the historic city to finish near Sultanahmet on the European side. Because the start (Asia) and finish (Europe) are on opposite continents, race-morning transport needs planning.

On race morning the 15 Temmuz Şehitler Bridge, the coastal roads, and large parts of the historic peninsula and city-centre route are closed to traffic for several hours. This is the most significant planned road-closure day of the year in Istanbul. A pre-booked transfer with a driver who knows the closure map gets you to the start corral on time and collects you near the Sultanahmet finish afterwards.

Many runners use organised shuttle points to reach the Asian-side assembly area before the early start, since the bridge and approach roads close. A private transfer to the nearest accessible drop-off — planned around the cordon — avoids the stress of public transport crowds at dawn. After finishing in Sultanahmet, a pre-arranged pickup nearby spares you walking far on tired legs while roads are still closed.

Yes. We provide fixed-price airport transfers from IST and SAW from €50, early-morning race-day rides to the start area, and pickups near the Sultanahmet finish — all routed around the closures, with no early or holiday surcharge. Group transfers for running clubs and supporters are available in V-Class vans and Sprinters from €85.