Alex Matata and Purity Gitonga Triumph at Istanbul Half Marathon
The 21st edition of the İşbank Istanbul Half Marathon delivered thrilling performances as Kenyan athletes Alex Matata and Purity Gitonga claimed victory in the men’s and women’s categories respectively.
Defending champion Alex Matata once again crossed the finish line first at the Yenikapı Event Area, clocking 1 hour and 1 second. His twin brother Charles Matata followed just a split second behind, securing second place and achieving the best record of his career.
Turkish runner Ali Kaya completed the podium in third with a personal best of 1 hour and 12 seconds.
In the women’s race, Purity Gitonga dominated with a winning time of 1 hour 6 minutes 50 seconds. Ethiopian competitor Ftaw Zeray finished close behind in 1 hour 6 minutes 57 seconds, while South Africa’s Glenrose Xaba claimed third place in 1 hour 7 minutes 3 seconds.
The event also doubled as the Turkish Half Marathon Championship. Ali Kaya’s third-place finish overall earned him the national title, followed by Ramazan Baştuğ (1:02:21) and Ömer Amaçtan (1:02:52).
In the women’s division, Nursena Çeto secured the Turkish crown with a career-best 1:11:27, ahead of Meliha Pınar Demirağ (1:13:49) and Yayla Kılıç (1:16:37).
International records were also broken. South Sudanese runner Stella Mami Clement Lokhiri set a new national record with 1:11:17, finishing ninth in the women’s race. Kazakh athlete Shadrack Kimutai Koech, who placed 17th in the men’s race, established a new Kazakhstan record with 1:03:25.
