Abdulkadir Urkmez for Istanbul Marathon
13 October 2000 - Thousands will have the opportunity to run from one continent to another for the 22nd time on Sunday, 15th of October. Istanbul Eurasia Marathon welcomes 500 marathon runners this year as well as 1,100 competitors in 15k and a limited number of 75,000 participants in the public race.
The gun will fire at 9:00 a.m. locally for the marathon together with the wheelchair race and the 15k run. The public race takes start at 9:30. There will be a live TV coverage throughout the marathon and a live concert inside the Inonu Stadium where the marathon will finish.
Among the marathon entrants, there is Tage Moyes (ETH), the defending champion and the course record holder with 2:13:37, looking forward to winning the Eurasia Marathon for the fourth consecutive time. Moyes’s season best is 2:09:49, achieved in Rome Millenium Marathon, close to his PB 2:09:21 in 1998. Other athletes to force the pace are Jonah Koech (KEN) with PB 2:10:39, Josephat Rop (KEN) 2:10:51 and Frans Chauka (RSA) 2:12:04. Two Russians Anatoly Archakov 2:14:56 and Valery Zolotkov 2:14:36 will try to give an end to the Africans dominance together with Vlas Valeriu (MOL) 2:13:36. Veteran athlete Salvatore Bettiol of Italy, 2:09:40 in London 1994, will also start the marathon.
The women’s marathon includes Renata Kokowska (POL), PB 2:26:20, twice Berlin Marathon winner. The 1995 winner of Eurasia Marathon, Firaya Sultanova-Zhdonova (RUS) 2:30:46, 1998 winner Natalia Galushko (BLR) 2:32:24, 1997 winner and the course record holder with 2:34:39, Adriana Barbu (ROM), Svetlana Korchagina (RUS) 2:34:36, Rimma Dubovik (UKR) 2:33:53 and Dita Constantina (ROM) 2:34:46 are the names to be mentioned. Also, 5k 1999 European Juniors Champion, 3000m indoor and 10000m outdoor Balkan Seniors champion in the year 2000 Nuray Surekli (TUR) will run her first marathon.
The winners will receive US$ 20,000 each. Time bonuses of $ 15,000 under 2:10, $ 10,000 under 2:25 and additionally $ 5,000 for the course record will be distributed to the athletes.
See www.istanbulmarathon.org
