News
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April 28th, 2020
Latest Situation with Fall Marathons
As the road runners wait for the fall season to hit the race courses again, uncertainty continues over some global marathons.
Hopes rise for the new season as the European countries, where the rate of infection growth have slowed down, start loosening the coronavirus measures. If the improvement is maintained, September and October will be quite intense with the addition of the races postponed from spring. However, there are still uncertain prospects for some major marathons in the countries that either the pandemic would still be a threat in fall or the country has announced long-term measures.
The organisers of the London Marathon, rescheduled for 4 October, are considering the option of conducting the race with elite runners only. If the event could have been staged on 26 April as originally planned, the streets of London would see 45 thousand runners and 750 thousand spectators on the day. Even though the final decision concerning the number of the participants is to be made at the end of August, it is likely that the current social and physical distancing will need to be kept in October. It is not confirmed whether Eliud Kipchoge and Kenenisa Bekele, who were due to meet on April’s race, have signed up also for the revised date.
The Berlin Marathon of 27 September is postponed indefinitely in compliance with the German government's ban on gatherings of more than 5 thousand people until 24 October. The organisers are expected to announce if the event will eventually take place this year. The government's ban will impact several other marathons in Germany.
The first marathon in Europe will be the Stockholm Marathon on 5 September unless negative conditions occur by then. The event, gathering nearly 15 thousand runners every year, was postponed from 30 May.
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March 12th, 2020
Coronavirus Hampers Road Races
While many road running events are cancelled worldwide, the spreading coronavirus crisis is also affecting the events in Turkey.
Republic of Turkey Ministry of Youth and Sports announced a set of measures to be taken, including the cancellation or postponement of several international events in various sports. Five road races are listed among others.
Vodafone Istanbul Half Marathon, a World Athletics Gold Label Road Race, is rescheduled to the 20th of September from its original date of 5 April. The new date not only enables the half marathon participants of the European Athletics Championships to be held in Paris from 25 to 30 August to race in Istanbul, but also provides the opportunity for a test race for those who would run the Istanbul Maraton on 8 November.
Silver Label International Mersin Marathon will not be held on 22 March as scheduled either. Mersin Metropolitan Municipality, the organiser of the event, is considering end November or early December as the new date in line with the climate of the city.
Izmir Marathon, planned for 12 April originally, is announced to be held on 4 October. Bursa Osmangazi Historical City Run, another event scheduled to 12 April, is one of the races to be cancelled or postponed due to coronavirus measures. Diyarbakır Sur Half Marathon is also postponed indefinitely from 23 April.
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March 7th, 2020
Historical City Run Scheduled For 12 April
International Bursa Osmangazi Historical City Run, granted “five stars” by European Athletics, will be held on Sunday, 12 April.
The major road running event of Bursa is once again set to provide its participants a unique experience at the historical sites of the city’s largest district. The event with a concept that few races offer in the world holds a “5-star” label since 2018, the topmost category in the assessment of European road races.
Those finishing in the top-10 on 12 April will pocket prize money starting from USD 2,000 while the master athletes are eligible for cash prizes as well. For those who would like to run at a shorter distance, there is a public run over 4km on the day.
To register with the 15th International Bursa Osmangazi Historical City Run, a form must be filled out at www.osmangazimarathon.net. Timing services in the event will be provided by Depar Timing.
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February 8th, 2020
Trabzon Prepares to Celebrate the 40th Race
Turkey’s third oldest road race Trabzon Half Marathon will be staged on 23 February. The event incorporates the National League.
The traditional event with the oldest history after the Grand Atatürk Run and the Istanbul Marathon in Turkey was inaugurated in 1981 and had been a part of the celebrations of the “19 May Youth and Sports Day”. Promoted to a national level in 1988 and moved to its new date in the weekend of the city’s Liberation Day on 24 February, the race became popular among the distance runners and included in the international calendar in 1991.
The winners of the 40th International Trabzon Half Marathon will collect 12,000 Turkish Liras each on Sunday 23 February. Master athletes to make the podium are also eligible for a prize money purse. Besides the half marathon, the event includes a 11.5km race as well as a fun run at a distance of 5km. Entries for all races are open at trabzonyarimaratonu.com. The half marathon will be televised live by TRT.
The first round of the prestigious National Half Marathon League is incorporated in the this year’s Trabzon Half Marathon. The final round of the League will be hosted by the Diyarbakır Sur Half Marathon on 19 April.
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January 1st, 2020
Have a Great New Year!
Depar Timing Team wishes you a prosperous New Year, full of personal bests and medals.
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