İskele half marathon draws runners across four race categories

İskele Municipality held a four-category road-running event on September 27, with the first İskele Half Marathon including 21K and 10K races alongside a 500-metre children’s race and a 3K public run, Halkın Sesi reported.

According to the report, registration income will support projects for the Ötüken Special Education and Vocational Training School. İskele Mayor Hasan Sadıkoğlu said the school had been completed and transferred to the Ministry of National Education, while support for the institution was continuing.

Yunus Emre Akkuş won the men’s 21K general classification and Hasibe Demir won the women’s category. İbrahim Karateker took the men’s 10K classification, while Daria Dubenets won the women’s race.

Winners received trophies, medals and cash prizes at a ceremony attended by Sadıkoğlu, Athletics Federation President Ferhat Sakallı and members of the İskele municipal council.

The ceremony also included Ada Kafa, described in the report as a Balkan U18 Athletics Championships silver medallist. She had recorded 2:10.20 in the 800 metres in Slovenia and presented prizes at the event.

The Physiotherapists Association supported the organisers by helping runners warm up and leading warm-up exercises for residents at the venue.

Sakallı said athletes from several countries had taken part. He described the race as an opportunity to promote the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus internationally and to help address what he called an embargo affecting sport.