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8th International Mersin Marathon race photo

8th International Mersin Marathon

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

TRDec 13, 202642.195km
Mersin Page · CC BY-SA 3.0
Race date in 68 days
Dec 13, 2026 Sun
City · Distance
Mersin Province · 42.195km
Entry fee
Fee TBDVaries by event and entry period
Official website ↗D-day as of Oct 6, 2026
8th International Mersin Marathon race photo
Mersin Page · CC BY-SA 3.0
About the raceRunner storiesHow to enterCourseRace PrepTravel
Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

About 8th International Mersin Marathon — what makes it special

ABOUT THE RACE

A day you'll remember,
long past the finish line.

It is the 8th International Mersin Marathon, included in the Turkish Athletics Federation's 2026 program.

It takes place in Mersin on December 13, 2026, and registration is accepted online only.

The road to your own record

Picture the course in advance
and find the pace that fits you.

When the city cheers

Streets lined with cheers, runners all around.
You'll be part of that scene.

The trip that follows the run

Take it slow with the finish still in you,
and meet the city all over again.

8th International Mersin Marathon runner reviews and race reports

Stories from those who ran it first.

From the joy of finishing to the tough moments — read what runners wrote themselves.

Race reports: 2
KahomenRan in 2024
“Every step felt like a battle.”

Kahomen sheltered from the wind behind another runner and maintained a steady pace at the Mersin Marathon. Despite foot and knee pain after 35km, Kahomen pushed through the final stretch to meet the sub-3-hour-45-minute goal and improve personal best.

Quoted from the original · translated

Original quote

Her adım bir savaş gibiydi.

Read the original on Koşu Forum
JubRan in 2017 · Finish time 4:27:02
“BUT FUCK YEA, ran an entire marathon bitches.”

After less than a month of preparation, the runner ran all the way along Mersin's flat coastal course and finished their first marathon in 4 hours 27 minutes 02 seconds.

Read the original on Tiki Touring Kiwi

We translated a short line from each public race report and summarized the experience. Finish times are as stated by the author, and past editions may differ from this year's weather and operations.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

Preview the course and read what runners who went before you wrote.

Finisher vlog

BİSKOLOG · Finisher vlog

View on YouTube

This may be from a past edition. Check the organizer for this year's course and operations.

The way in that fits you

YOUR ENTRY

How to enter 8th International Mersin Marathon — registration routes

How to reach the start line —
start with what fits you.

Here are the ways to enter and what each requires.
Check the organizer's page for whether entries are open.

From the 2025 edition

We'll fill this in once the official entry rules are out.

Official race websiteEntry options
From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

8th International Mersin Marathon course map and elevation

The 42.195km I'll run

Know the course and time limit, and race day comes into focus.

From the 2025 edition
Runners start · local timeFrom 08:00
Time limitMarathon 6 hours time limit

The start time and cut-off follow the official announcement (checked 2026-08) — re-check on the official page before entering.

EventTime limit
Marathon42.195km6h
City center · not the start line

We have not confirmed the start line coordinates yet. The map shows the host city.

START

Mersin

Show more

Mersin is a port city on Turkey’s southern Mediterranean coast.

It is regarded as having the longest coastline not only in Turkey but across the eastern Mediterranean, and lies at the western end of the Çukurova plain.

The Mersin Marathon, held in December, was established by Mersin Metropolitan Municipality in 2015.

The programme consists of a 42.195km full marathon and a 10km race.

The 2026 event will be the eighth edition, held on December 13, with registration available only online through apphurra.com.

The course course records are 2:10:12 by Kenya’s Kenneth Kiprugut in the men’s race in 2018, and 2:28:47 by Kenya’s Truphena Chepchirchir in the women’s race in 2017.

The 2018 edition had around 230 participants.

Organizer
Mersin Büyükşehir Belediyesi
Typical race-season temperature: around 3°C (37°F)
Long sleeves + a throwaway layer for the start

Participant benefits

Timing chip

Finisher medal

Event T-shirt

Where and when to collect your 8th International Mersin Marathon race bib

To the start line,
step by step.

Pick up your bib, check your wave.
So on race morning, you can just run.

From the 2025 edition

Pick up your bib at the expo

10K and 42K participants cannot receive bib or their kit on race day, so they must collect them during the advance distribution period.
The distribution schedule and required documents will be announced later on the official website.

Kültür Park Etkinlik Merkezi (Kültür Park Event Center), Mersin

Google Maps
Stations & transport near the venue

Tap your foreign-issued contactless bank/credit card directly on the bus reader — Mersin's transit system supports contactless EMV cards alongside its local card.

Getting to the start

Özgecan Aslan Barış Meydanı (Özgecan Aslan Peace Square), central Mersin waterfront

All distances (42K marathon, 10K, 3K fun run) start from this central square on Mersin's Mediterranean waterfront.

Nearest airport is Çukurova International Airport (COV) in Tarsus district, ~40-50km/~50min drive;

a Havamaş airport bus runs ~every 60min via Tarsus to Forum Mersin AVM Pozcu stop, closest to the city centre and railway station (~1h15).

Per prior edition (7th Mersin Marathon, 14 Dec 2025) venue confirmed consistent

Getting to the finish

42K and 10K both finish back at Özgecan Aslan Barış Meydanı

3K Halk Koşusu finishes near the Deniz Müzesi (Naval/Maritime Museum) further along the waterfront course.

Award ceremony and expo/bib pickup also at Özgecan Aslan Barış Meydanı.

More details

No dedicated race shuttle found.

The square is on Mersin's central waterfront and reachable by the city's regular bus/dolmuş (minibus) network;

most participant hotels in central Mersin are within walking distance.

IC card

Mersin 33 Kart

Kiosks/dealers with the Mersin 33 Kart logo, top-up machines at bus stops and tram stations, or the Mersin Büyükşehir Belediyesi website/mobile app

Works directly at the gates

More details

Mersin's public buses and trams run on the 'Mersin 33 Kart' smart-card system, being extended to essentially all vehicles by municipality plan.

Sources confirm riders can board using contactless credit/debit bank cards in addition to the local card.

Full fare was around 25 TL as of the last confirmed update (early-to-mid 2025/2026 pricing), so expect it may have risen since.

Source · checked Aug 22, 2026Source · checked Aug 17, 2026
READY TO RUN

From race morning to after the finish.

Your start time, fuel and bag drop.
Know them ahead and the run feels easier.

Mersin has a hot, humid summer and a mild, wet winter typical of a Mediterranean climate.

Winter is the wettest season, so check the forecast before travelling to the December race.

At the venue on race day, bib and race kits are not distributed for either the 42km or 10km.

They must be collected in advance from the designated location.

Registration is available only online through apphurra.com.

The time limit is 6 hours.

Runners exceeding it must leave the course as directed by the official vehicle, and their finish times will not count in the rankings.

The race began in 2015 under the organisation of Mersin Metropolitan Municipality.

The inaugural winner was Sulti Gure of Ethiopia, followed the next year by Moses Too of Kenya.

Participation was recorded at around 230 runners in 2018.

Times are local to Mersin Province. Check the latest official information before the race.

A trip built around the race

STAY A LITTLE

MAKE IT A RUNTRIP

The race is one day,
the trip can be longer.

From a hotel that makes race morning easy,
to the meals and views you'll enjoy with the medal on.

Metin Usta Tantuni
Metin Usta Tantuni
Ulu Cami
Ulu Cami

Hotels near the 8th International Mersin Marathon start line in Mersin Province

Hotels that make race morning easy

7 places

Distances are straight-line from the start.
Check real travel times and booking terms with each hotel.

Swipe sideways to see more hotels.

View on map →

Time for you, before and after the finish

4 experiences

Rest a little, wander a little.
Pick what suits you and whoever you're with.

Mersin Province Car Rental (EconomyBookings)

Compare rates from various rental car companies, self-drive (price confirmed at time of reservation) · Make reservation after checking price

View on EconomyBookings

Mersin Province Airport Pickup (GetTransfer)

Verified article matching, preliminary quote comparison reservation (price confirmed at time of reservation) · Reservation after price confirmation

View on GetTransfer

Mersin Province Airport–City Private Taxi

Fixed rate advance reservation, pickup at the door, check price and reserve

View on Kiwitaxi

Mersin Province car rental (Qeeq)

Compare budget-friendly rental cars with a free-cancellation option (check the price when booking) · Check price and book

View on Qeeq

Where runners eat in Mersin Province

Eating well is part of the trip

7 places

A meal before the race, a dinner to celebrate the finish.

Metin Usta Tantuni

Restaurant · Mersin 4.6km

★4.9(1518)
Map

Mersinli Hasan Usta - Mersin Tantuni

Turkish Restaurant · Mersin 4.3km

★4.5(3036)
Map

Tarsuslu Murat Usta

Restaurant · Mersin 2.5km

★4.6(1427)
Map

Abidin Tantuni

Turkish Restaurant · Mersin 4.1km

★4.4(2619)
Map

Borsa Tantuni

Restaurant · Mersin 4.2km

★4.4(5679)
Map

Chef Akın et közde döner

Turkish Restaurant · Mersin 3.7km

★4.3(634)
Map

Remzi Usta

Restaurant · Mersin 2.2km

★4.4(1301)
Map

What to see in Mersin Province after the race

Seeing Mersin Province with the medal on

7 places

The city you ran — this time, a little slower.

Ulu Cami

Mosque · Mersin 2.0km

★4.7(2915)
Map

Atatürk Parkı

Park · Mersin 2.3km

★4.1(12,000)
Map

Mersin Museum of Archeology

Museum · Mersin 4.9km

★4.6(2288)
Map

St Anthony Latin Catholic Church

Church · Mersin 1.4km

★4.4(510)
Map

Mersin İdman Yurdu Meydanı

Tourist Attraction · Mersin 5.0km

★4.4(1480)
Map

Republic Square

Park · Mersin 2.5km

★4.4(1771)
Map

Mersin Naval Museum

Museum · Mersin 5.0km

★4.4(1677)
Map

Hotel distances are straight-line from the start. Distances and ratings for food and sights come from the place provider, and experiences are travel products in Mersin Province.

Total cost and budget for 8th International Mersin Marathon

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

Trip prep too,
light and in one place.

ChecklistLocal eSIM · YesimFlight delay or cancellation compensation · AirHelpPace calculator

Once saved, you can open this page without an internet connection

Runner stories and questions about 8th International Mersin Marathon

RUN TOGETHER

With runners who dream of
the same start line.

Be the first runner
Leave this room's first post

Mersin Province runners' room

Frequently asked questions about 8th International Mersin Marathon

FAQ
When does 8th International Mersin Marathon 2026 take place?

It takes place on Sun, December 13, 2026 in Mersin Province, Türkiye.

What is the time limit for 8th International Mersin Marathon 2026?

Marathon 6 hours time limit. (From the 2025 edition)

What distances does 8th International Mersin Marathon 2026 offer?

Marathon. (From the 2025 edition)

What time does 8th International Mersin Marathon 2026 start?

The race starts at 08:00. (From the 2025 edition)

Where can I book a hotel near the 8th International Mersin Marathon 2026 start?

You can compare live prices for hotels around the start in Mersin Province in the STAY section of this page.

What transit card do I need for 8th International Mersin Marathon 2026?

Tap your foreign-issued contactless bank/credit card directly on the bus reader —

Mersin's transit system supports contactless EMV cards alongside its local card.

(From the 2025 edition)

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