Istanbul Marathon 2027 Trip: Date Status, Entry, Hotel and Recovery

The date of the 2027 Istanbul Marathon has not been announced yet: as of 6 November 2026, the organiser's website and the AIMS race calendar both list the next edition as "to be confirmed". The last three editions were all held on the first Sunday of November, most recently the 48th race on 1 November 2026, which drew more than 45,000 runners from 143 countries. Plan around early November 2027 and book flights only once the date is official. For the days around the race, our Istanbul 3-day tour package with hotel, Old City tour and transfers starts from $435 per person.

This page sets out what is known, the 2026 entry rules as a guide to 2027, how the course works, where to stay, how runners really get to the start, and which tours suit tired legs after 42 km.

The 2027 date: what is confirmed and what is not

The Istanbul Marathon is organised by Spor İstanbul for the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, with Türkiye İş Bankası as title sponsor. Recent dates:

The pattern points to the first Sunday of November, but that is a pattern, not an announcement. In 2027 the Sundays around that time are 31 October and 7 November, so wait for the official date before booking anything you cannot change. Some race calendars show a 2027 date with a question mark; treat those as guesses.

The separate Istanbul Half Marathon is earlier in the year. It is usually held on a Sunday in mid-April (19 April in 2026); the 2027 date was not confirmed when we checked, so look at the organiser’s site if you prefer a spring race.

Entry: criteria, fees and limits

The 2027 rules will be published with registration, so use the 2026 rules as a guide only. For the 48th edition the organiser set these conditions:

• Qualifying standard for the 42K. Runners had to show a finish within the past two years of a marathon in under 6:20 or a half marathon in under 3:25, or a 15K in under 2:15 within the past year. Results from foreign races were accepted as an uploaded certificate or official results page, checked within three working days.
• Field limit. 7,500 places in the 42K, and registration sold out.
• Fees for international registration. €60 from 6 to 31 January, €80 from 1 February to 31 May, €100 from 1 June to 31 July and €120 from 1 August to 13 October.
• Age. 18 or older on race day for the 42K, 16 or older for the 15.5K.
• No refunds. Entries could not be cancelled, postponed, transferred or changed to another distance.

Registration runs through the organiser's event site, and the organiser also lists official partner agencies in several countries that sell race entry packages. We do not sell race bibs. We arrange the travel around the race: hotel, transfers, guides and recovery days.

The course: Asia to Europe in one morning

Istanbul calls itself the only intercontinental marathon. The 42K starts on the Asian side, about 250 metres before the toll booths in front of the 15 July Martyrs Bridge metrobus stop. Runners cross the bridge to Europe in the first kilometre, drop down to Beşiktaş, pass the Naval Museum and Dolmabahçe Palace at around 5 to 6 km and cross the Galata Bridge at about 9 km.

From Sirkeci the course follows the Sea of Marmara shore past Kumkapı, Yenikapı and Bakırköy, turns near the Air Force Academy and comes back along the same coast. The last kilometres run through Gülhane Park and up to Sultanahmet, with the finish on the Hippodrome between the Blue Mosque and the Egyptian obelisk.

The 15.5K uses the same start and bridge crossing and finishes on the Yenikapı shore. In 2026 the 42K time limit was 6 hours 20 minutes, and the 15.5K closed at 12:20. Runners behind the cut-offs are asked to board the sweep bus as the roads reopen.

Getting to the start line

This is where most marathon travel plans go wrong, so here is what the organiser actually says. On race morning the bridge and a long list of roads on both sides are closed, including the Galata and Unkapanı bridges, the Eurasia Tunnel, the Kennedy Avenue coast road and the streets around Sultanahmet. In 2026 the organiser stated that it would not run athlete vehicles from Taksim or Sultanahmet to the start.

Runners reach the start by public transport, which is free on race morning with your bib:

• From Sultanahmet and Eminönü: the tram runs from 06:00, then a ferry to the Asian side and a signed walking route to the start.
• From Taksim and Kabataş: the funicular runs from 06:00, then a ferry from Kabataş and the same walking route.
• Via Üsküdar: Marmaray from Sirkeci or Yenikapı to Üsküdar, then a free shuttle to Beylerbeyi between 07:00 and 08:00. Marmaray itself is paid.

A private car cannot drop you at the start line, and any operator who promises that on race morning is promising something the road closures do not allow. What a private driver can do is take you to the kit collection the day before, get your family to a good viewing point and collect you after the finish once roads reopen. Bags go to the finish on the organiser's bag-drop vehicles.

Where to stay for race weekend

The choice of district decides how early you get up.

• Sultanahmet: the 42K finish is on the Hippodrome, so after the race you walk to your hotel. The start means a tram and ferry ride. See our shortlist of Sultanahmet hotels.
• Karaköy, Galata and Kabataş: close to the Kabataş ferry and with good restaurants for the night before. A middle choice.
• Üsküdar and the Asian side: closest to the start, and quieter. The trip back from the Sultanahmet finish takes longer, by Marmaray or ferry.

Hotels in Sultanahmet fill early for race weekend. Our guide on where to stay in Istanbul compares the districts in more detail.

A race weekend timeline

This is how we usually plan a marathon trip, assuming a Sunday race. Adjust the days to the 2027 announcement.

Kit collection in 2026 ran from 10:00 to 19:00 on the first two days and 10:00 to 18:00 on the last day. You need the race kit to start, so do not leave it to the final afternoon.

Recovery days: easy tours after 42 km

After a marathon you want sights that do not involve hills and long queues. These work well:

• A Bosphorus cruise. Three hours sitting down, with the bridge you ran across overhead. Our Bosphorus lunch cruise with hotel pick-up is the easiest option.
• A short guided Old City morning. Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome are flat and close together. A guide with skip-the-line tickets avoids standing in lines.
• A Turkish bath (hamam). Many runners book one for the day after. Choose a historic hamam in Sultanahmet or Karaköy and ask for a gentle massage.
• An evening on the water. A dinner cruise is a relaxed way to celebrate, with transfers both ways.
• The Spice Bazaar. Compact and flat, and open on Sundays, unlike the Grand Bazaar.

November weather suits running and slow sightseeing alike. The Turkish State Meteorological Service gives Istanbul an average November high of about 16°C and a low of about 10°C, with rain on some days. Our Istanbul in November guide has more on the month.

What a marathon trip costs

The race itself was €60 to €120 for international runners in 2026, depending on when you registered. On top of that come flights, hotel nights and food. For the travel side, these are our real starting prices:

• Airport transfer: from $60 per group each way in a private Mercedes Vito.
• Short package: our Short Istanbul Package for 3 days starts from $344 per person with hotel and an Old City tour.
• Longer stay: the 4-day Istanbul package with hotel and Bosphorus cruise starts from $699 per person and leaves room for a recovery day.

For hotels, food and entry tickets in detail, see our Istanbul trip cost guide.

Tours that cover this

• Istanbul 3-Day Tour Package: Hotel, Old City Tour and Transfers, from $435 per person. Covers the arrival, a guided day and the airport runs.
• Istanbul Airport VIP Transfer, Private Mercedes Vito, from $60 per group. Also useful for the kit collection day.
• Bosphorus Lunch Cruise with Hotel Pick-up and Drop-off, 3 hours, from $75 per person. The ideal day-after outing.
• Bosphorus Dinner Cruise with Folk Show and Transfers, 6 hours, from $90 per person. A post-race celebration.

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