The Grand Atatürk Run (Turkish: Büyük Atatürk Koşusu) is an annual road running event of 10K run, which takes place on 27 December in Ankara, Turkey. The date coincides with the first visit of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Turkish Republic, to Ankara.[1] The competition has been held every year since 1936.[2] It is organised under the auspices of Turkish Athletic Federation (Turkish: Türkiye Atletizm Federasyonu).[3]
| Grand Atatürk Run | |
|---|---|
| Date | December 27 |
| Location | Ankara, Turkey |
| Event type | Road |
| Distance | 10K |
| Primary sponsor | Turkish Athletic Federation |
| Established | 1936 |
| Course records |
|
| Official site | Grand Atatürk Run |
The race distance is roughly (10.8 km (6.7 mi), though it is not a certifiably measured course. Historically, the race has ranged from 10 to 12 km (6.2 to 7.5 mi) in length.[2] The course is set in the centre of the city, starting at Dikmen Valley Park and finishing at the front of Ankara Central Station.[3] Initially an event for men only, a women's section was introduced in 1992, and races for both genders are now held annually.[2] It is one of the longest running road race events in Europe.[4]
Past winners of the race include many of the country's top distance runners. In the men's race, winners include European medallist Halil Akkaş and Mediterranean Games champions Ekrem Koçak and Mehmet Terzi. Double Olympic silver medallist Elvan Abeylegesse and Binnaz Uslu (runner-up at the European Cross Country Championships) have won on the women's side. Sükrü Saban is the most successful athlete in the history of the competition, having won eight times between 1960 and 1970. The fastest times recorded for the race are 29:26 minutes for men (set by Zeki Öztürk in 1996) and 32:19 minutes for women (set by Elvan Abeylegesse in 2002).[2]
Past winners
editKey: Course record
Most wins
edit- Men's
| Wins | Name | Years |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Şükrü Saban | 1960, 1961, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1970 |
| Mehmet Yurdadön | 1975, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983 | |
| 6 | Zeki Öztürk | 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1996 |
| 5 | Muharrem Dalkılıç | 1956, 1959, 1962, 1964, 1968 |
| 4 | Mustafa Kaplan | 1938, 1940, 1943, 1946 |
| Abdülkadir Türk | 1999, 2000, 2001, 2007 | |
| Nihat Yaylalı | 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994 | |
| 3 | Halil Akkaş | 2004, 2005, 2006 |
| Osman Coşgül | 1948, 1949, 1951 | |
| Ekrem Koçak | 1954, 1956, 1957 | |
| Mustafa Özcan | 1945, 1947, 1950 | |
| 2 | Eşref Aydın | 1941, 1944 |
| Sergey Ivanov | 2002, 2003 | |
| Metin Sazak | 1997, 1998 | |
| Hikmet Şen | 1972, 1973 | |
| Mehmet Terzi | 1984, 1985 |
- Women's
| Wins | Name | Years |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Lale Öztürk | 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997 |
| Binnaz Uslu | 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011 | |
| 3 | Nuray Sürekli | 1998, 2000, 2004 |
| 2 | Elvan Abeylegesse | 2001, 2002 |
| Serap Aktaş | 1994, 1996 | |
| Türkan Erişmiş Özata | 2008, 2012 |
References
edit- ^ Büyük Atatürk Koşusunu Kazananlar Listesi Archived 2012-04-26 at the Wayback Machine (in Turkish). Ankara Masterleri Spor Kulübü. Retrieved on 2011-12-17.
- ^ a b c d Tafolar, Meric & Gasparovic, Juraj (2011-10-21). Grand Ataturk Run 10 km. Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved on 2011-12-17.
- ^ a b 76. Büyük Atatürk Koşusu Archived 2012-05-19 at the Wayback Machine (in Turkish). Türkiye Atletizm Federasyonu. Retrieved on 2011-12-17.
- ^ Longest Running Road Races. ARRS (2011-12-07). Retrieved on 2011-12-17.
- ^ "Büyük Atatürk Koşusu, Ankara'da yapıldı". Milliyet Spor (in Turkish). 2011-12-27. Archived from the original on 2013-09-11. Retrieved 2013-06-05.
- ^ "77. Büyük Atatürk Koşusu Gerçekleştirildi". Son Dakika (in Turkish). 2012-12-27. Retrieved 2013-06-05.
- ^ "Atatürk Koşusu Tekgöz'ün..." (in Turkish). Istanbul B.B. SK. 2012-12-27. Archived from the original on 2013-05-06. Retrieved 2013-06-05.
- ^ Dolu, Erol (2013-01-02). "Türkan Özata 'Atatürk'ü Çok Seviyorum' Diyerek Koşuyor". Marmaris Güncel (in Turkish). Archived from the original on 2015-01-10. Retrieved 2013-06-05.
- ^ "Atletizmde Başarılı Sonuçlar" (in Turkish). Beşiktaş J.K. Retrieved 2013-06-05.
- ^ "Yüzlerce Kişi Atatürk İçin Koştu". Türkiye Atletizm Federasyonu (in Turkish). 2013-12-27. Retrieved 2013-12-28.
- ^ "Yüzlerce Kişi Atatürk İçin Koştu". Türkiye Atletizm Federasyonu (in Turkish). 2014-12-27. Retrieved 2014-12-27.
- List of winners
- Tafolar, Meric & Gasparovic, Juraj (2011-10-21). Grand Ataturk Run 10 km. Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved on 2011-12-17.