I’d arranged with my friends to meet at 7 a.m. on Sunday, 13 November, the morning of the Istanbul Marathon, at the Starbucks next to The Marmara. It was raining heavily. When I arrived a few minutes after 7 a.m., Yasemin from our group was waiting outside Starbucks. Gradually, others started arriving. Later arrivals joined the Starbucks coffee queue. There was a long line there. After waiting for them for 10 minutes, I decided to check out the spot in front of the Atatürk Culture Center (AKM) where everyone was gathered and taken to the marathon by public buses. All the buses in Istanbul were operating on Sunday mornings. But I still couldn’t believe my eyes. The line of people queuing for the marathon was growing by the minute. I told one of our friends who hadn’t bought coffee right away, “Let’s join the bus line. Otherwise, we’ll be late; they’ll just grab their coffee and come back.” We managed to join the queue somewhere in Gümüşsuyu. I think the line must have stretched all the way to Dolmabahçe after us. We called our friends who had already bought coffee, saying, “We’re in line, come quick.” They joined us 10 minutes later. Of course, I could tell they were panicking. I immediately joked:
- Because of your coffee addiction, we won’t be able to participate in the Istanbul Marathon. We got in line 20 minutes late. There’s a long line ahead of us.
- We didn’t expect such a line here either.
- Did they make a good coffee at least?
- Good, good.
- Enjoy!
After waiting in line for over half an hour, we finally managed to board the bus around 8:00. You can see the photo we took just before that below. (Nilüfer, Nigar, Özlem, Yasemin, and me, from right to left):
We arrived at the marathon venue by bus within 15 minutes. We immediately arrived at the start point for the 10 K racers and the finish point for the 15 K racers, as indicated by Adım Adım (Step by Step). Our group had become a bit scattered. We tried to regroup. Some TIDER supporters and our colleagues from the association were waiting at the Metrobus stop. After gathering, we began taking group photos.
Afterward, I started chatting with various groups. Thankfully, many people had come. Unfortunately, Mert Fırat couldn’t join us. He was exhausted from his late-night shoot the day before and couldn’t make it. We spoke with him on the phone and agreed to see each other next time.
There were also representatives from several esteemed NGOs that were members of the Adım Adım platform in our area. Despite the cold, windy, and drizzling rain, the place felt like a carnival.
Personalized time predictions!
After pleasant conversations, it was time to run. Because it was cold and would be uncomfortable during the run, I went to the portable toilets they had placed on the side of the road before joining the line. I was ready to run.
At 08:45, Başak and Özlem, who were running the 15 K, joined the 15 K line. There, we started discussing who would be running and what their goals were. My predictions usually come true. “My goal is to run in 1:15,” I said. Inside, I was thinking, “Actually, my goal is 1:10, but it’s better to be modest with the numbers.” Since Başak was a kitesurfer and a sports fan, I told her, “I think you can run this distance in 1:30.” I turned to Özlem and said, “I think you should aim for 1:45. That’s a good time to run 15 K.” After everyone agreed, we continued chatting and taking photos. Here’s the photo we took:
Then the race started. Of course, because it was so crowded, we waited a few minutes before crossing the starting line. Soon after, we reached the bridge and started crossing it. Of course, the conversation continued. It was quite windy, but the view was magnificent. As we were running at a leisurely pace, enjoying the view, Başak suddenly pulled out her cellphone and recorded what was happening:
VİDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ykRVha4aZ0&feature=youtu.be
After these moments of joking and enjoying the view, we crossed the bridge. Then, before running another 1-2 K and reaching the viaduct connecting it to Barbaros Boulevard, I said goodbye to Başak and said, “I’m starting to run at my own pace now.” I started to pick up the pace. There were still plenty of people around me. Sometimes, though it was difficult, I found a spot and started to pass those ahead of me. I quickly picked up the pace and reached Barbaros Boulevard. Since the boulevard road is already downhill, you’re speeding up even if you don’t want to. Naturally, my pace there reached its maximum. When I passed the 5 K mark at the bottom of the hill, the stopwatch on my wrist read 25:26. Since I usually run 5 K in the Belgrad Ormnı in about 22 minutes, I realized I was falling short of my normal average, so I increased my pace a little more. As I ran at full speed around Beşiktaş and Dolmabahçe, I witnessed once again the beauty of the road I travel every day. From time to time, people would cheer from the side of the road, and sometimes some would take photos as they ran to the music. While experiencing this carnival atmosphere, the real excitement came when I crossed Karaköy and reached the Galata Bridge. Nike had prepared a wonderful atmosphere. The bridge was packed with people left and right, applauding and cheering the runners with incredible enthusiasm. This experience gave me firsthand experience of how pumped-up soccer players can be in a stadium. Frankly, I was pumped up too and increased my pace. By the time I passed the 10 K mark set up after the bridge, my stopwatch was reading 45:56.
A Marathoner With No T-Shirt, Carrying a Bag
Meanwhile, I was also witnessing some colorful characters. For example, one of the runners was running shirtless. Curious about this fast-paced runner, I quickly walked up to him. He also had a bag strapped around his waist. The following conversation took place between us (I was the first to speak):
- Hi, are you feeling hot, bro? Are you used to this cold weather, I suppose?
- … what? (I don’t get it?)
- It’s kind of hot, isn’t it? – “It’s freezing, by the way, I’m just having fun”?
- (laughing), Yes. (Yes)
- Where are you from?
- USA
- Where, from the US?
- New York
- Good for you. Are you enjoying Istanbul?
- Pretty much. (Quite a lot.)
- What distance are you going to run today?
- Marathon, 42 K. And you?
- 15 K. Peanuts for you, right? (laughing)
- (15 K. Nothing for you?)
- (laughing) Right. (Correct)
- Enjoy it, man! Have a good day.
- You too.
Shortly afterwards, we reached the spot where the 15-K and marathon runners separated. We continued on our way.
I’d been training regularly for the last two months. However, due to a lack of time, I’d mostly only been able to run intervals between 6 – 10 K. I needed to push myself a little harder after the 10 K I’d missed in training. Still, I maintained my pace. As I approached the 14th K, I ran into Pınar, our Adım Adım representative. After exchanging greetings and quick wishes for a good run, Pınar, who was running a marathon for the first time, managed to maintain my pace for the last kilometer, completing the 15 K in 1:09:53.
This was my best time yet. And last week, I was in Ankara and Konya. Instead of training, I indulged in delicious Turkish food like etli ekmek (meat bread) and ‘between the lines.’ Still, feeling happy that I was in good shape and thinking I had time, I headed to the Eminönü Börekcisi (a place called “Börekçisi”) just beyond the finish line. I chose a delicious potato börek and snacked on it with my tea. Afterward, I went out to find my mates. Başak arrived first. My prediction was correct. She finished the race in 1:29. I went to the bus stops to retrieve another friend’s bag. When we returned, Özlem had just crossed the line at 1:45. My prediction was correct here too. We crossed to the other side of the road and waited for the TIDER supporters running the 10 K. It was getting crowded by the minute. Around 11:30, the last stragglers, arrived, and we all (about 50 TIDER supporters) went over to Eminönü for a fish sandwich.
After this delicious meal, we said goodbye to the people and since there were no vehicles, we walked again to where I parked my car in Dolmabahçe.
A visit and a feast
Afterward, I went home, showered, and went to my routine Sunday visit with my grandmother. This time, the family gathering was at my aunt’s. My parents, my brother Baran, my other aunt and her husband, everyone was there. I had a fish sandwich on potato pastry; as you can imagine, I was very full. As soon as I got to my aunt’s, I said, “I’m full, I won’t eat another bite.”
But what started as my family’s classic tactic of “Would you like to try some before it’s stuffed? Should I add a bite of this Ali Nazik?” turned into a feast once again. Of course, my grandmother monitored what I was eating, saying, “Here, son, have some of this,” quickened my eating pace. Between yogurt soup, lentil meatballs, kısır (a type of rice), börek (a type of pastry), and Antep-style salad, I probably gained twice the calories I lost running at the family dinner. No matter, the food was delicious. And of course, I saw my cousin Enci’s daughter, Karolin. We took a photo with Karolin, a calm and beautiful baby:
I ran after good deeds this morning, saw lots of dear friends, and had fun. I ate delicious food. And in the evening, I saw my family. What more could I ask for?
I want one just more thing: Our campaign is ongoing. You can donate to my campaign so we can implement our Support Project (Support Market + Support HR) on the Bağcılar-Esenler line, one of Istanbul’s most disadvantaged areas. Details of my campaign are at https://bagis.adimadim.org/?ccid=CC12976
To donate, simply visit https://bagis.adimadim.org/?ccid=CC12976.
For more details, read my previous article: http://www.serhansuzer.com/tr/on-binlerce-kisiye-destek-icin-el-ele
Stay well.
Tag: memoir
