42K Marathon Race

42K Marathon Course

The race starts Sunday morning at 7:30 AM from the Uludağ hotels area.

The Eker I Run Marathon starts at 1,793 meters altitude in the Uludağ hotels region and descends to Eker Meydan Shopping Mall in Nilüfer (117 meters altitude). It’s Turkey’s 5th road marathon and the first downhill road marathon. The maximum time allowed is 7 hours.

The 42K marathon course allows runners to escape urban life and embrace nature, running through breathtaking views.

As you run through the forest, cool shadows of the trees will accompany you, giving you motivation to increase your pace. Some climbs will challenge you, but the effort will be worth it. With the descents, you’ll feel free, and as you approach the finish line in the final kilometers, you'll be cheered on by the spectators.

The 42K Eker I Run course offers a strengthening, spiritual experience that will push the boundaries of your runner's soul.

Downhill marathons allow faster times than flat ones. Climbs and high-altitude courses (especially over 350m) can reduce performance.

Click here to download the GPX file of the course.

Notes for the Marathon

The Eker I Run Uludağ Marathon is run at an average altitude of 914m over 42.195 km. The first 10 km is above 1500m, the last 10 km is below 300m. With minimal climbs, the first 30 km is mostly downhill, reducing the impact of altitude. The last 10 km includes ups and downs, testing your endurance. After a sharp descent at the 40th km, the final kilometer is flat to the finish line.

The course follows the southern slopes of Uludağ via Tuzaklı village and Orhaneli Road to Eker Meydan, offering spectacular green and blue landscapes.

The first 18.7 km of the course is above 1000m altitude, with 550m of climbing and 2230m of descent in total.

According to Richard A. Lovett (co-author of “Guide to Road Racing” with Alberto Salazar), a marathoner with 5:00 pace could theoretically improve by nearly 5 minutes on a downhill course — roughly 2% faster, meaning a 3:25 finish instead of 3:29:45. Link: https://www.runnersworld.com/advanced/a20820206/downhill-all-the-way/

Water & Aid Stations

Water Points: 5 km - 10 km - 15.5 km - 19 km - 21 km - 25 km - 30 km - 35 km - 37.5 km - 39.5 km

Nutrition Points: 15.5 km - 30 km

Dropbag Point: At the 19 km mark (900m altitude, Kirazlı Village), participants can leave or retrieve clothes and gear at the water station.

Transportation

Participants will be transported to the start line by the organization free of charge. Vehicles will only take participants. Shuttle registration is required during kit pickup. Shuttles will depart from in front of Vatan Computer opposite Eker Meydan Shopping Mall. Estimated travel time: 50–65 minutes depending on weather and road conditions.

Shuttle departure time is 05:30 AM from opposite Eker Meydan (subject to minor changes).

Shuttle details will be announced in September.

Those arriving by their own means must respect the road closure rules.

Dropbags

Each marathon runner will receive 2 dropbags.

Bag 1: Left at Kurbağa Kaya before the start; pickup point is at the cloakroom at Eker Meydan.

Bag 2: Left one day before the race at the registration area in Eker Meydan. Accessible at the aid station in Kirazlı Village.

No bag drop-off is available on race morning.