Ankara Deputy Governor of Ankara Ayhan Özkan, Deputy Mayor of Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Sercan Çığgın, President of the Turkish Athletics Federation Fatih Çintimar, founder of the organization Victoria Blyth, and chairman of the committee of the organization Carlo Capalbo attended the press conference held at the JW Marriott Hotel regarding the organization.

A fairground will be set up for Runkara at ATO Congresium on October 6-8, and a family run will be held on October 7. On October 8, a half marathon and 10 km run will be held with the participation of elite athletes.

Deputy Governor of Ankara, Özkan, explained that they were extremely excited for the organization and said, "It will be an organization with many beauties. Sports have a great impact on becoming a brand city. We are making the beginning of this. As the Governorship, we highly support such events. Ankara also organized important sports competitions last year. Our esteemed Governor will also attend the organization." he said.

Deputy Mayor of Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Çığgın also stated that the capital will organize a high-level organization and said, "Such organizations create added value for the host cities. As Ankara Metropolitan Municipality, we will be a partner in this event with our resources." said.

Çintimar, President of the Turkish Athletics Federation, stated that they will hold the first international half marathon accredited by the World Athletics Federation in Ankara and said:

"50 years ago, 6 people started the Istanbul Marathon by crossing the bridge, and today it has become one of the most important marathons in the world. The RunCzech team took such a step in Ankara. As the Federation, we wish to develop this with the power of our state. It is the world's largest and We are the sports branch with the most participation. As a team, we came 6th among 202 countries in the last Junior World Championship. We received the best ranking in Europe. This organization to be held in Ankara is a great initiative for both the love of sports in Ankara and the public's involvement in sports. is the step."

Victoria Blyth stated that the event would suit Ankara very well and said, "It will be an event that Ankara will be proud of. The aim is to repeat it every year and add it to the cultural calendar of the city. Runkara will be a weekend full of events. There will also be a sports and technology fair." he said.

Carlo Capalbo, who has the title of "King of Marathons", emphasized that they will realize the project they started 2 years ago and said, "We thought of an event that will benefit everyone for the city. Half marathon is a beginning. We will gradually expand this organization. We will watch a high-level sports performance of the Runkara organization. High-level names will participate in the competition." "Turkey and Ankara definitely deserve this. It will be an event that will arouse touristic interest in the city. We will also host an important technology fair." made his assessment.

Source: Breaking News Link: https://www.breakingnews.com.tr/spor/ankaranin-ilk-uluslararasi-yari-maratonu-runkara-8-ekimde-yapilacak-120047