To start, you can find the technical details about the Eskişehir Half Marathon I ran on Sunday, 25 August this year at https://www.eskisehiryarimaratonu.com.
Eskişehir is one of my favorite cities—I’ve always had great memories there. My first visit was for a talk I gave on sustainability at Anadolu University. I was warmly welcomed and had the chance to share my sustainability experience with over 500 bright students.
Later, I visited again over a weekend just to explore. We toured the city, including the Odunpazarı Modern Museum and the Eti Archaeology Museum. My third visit was last year, when I ran the Eskişehir Half Marathon. I wrote about that experience in detail here: https://www.serhansuzer.com/tr/eskisehirde-keyifli-bir-kosu-deneyimi
Since I truly enjoy visiting Eskişehir, I decided to run the Half Marathon again this year. It was my fourth time in the city, and this time I stayed at a hotel right in the city center by the Porsuk River.
Two Recommendations: Omm Inn and Ayten Usta
Runners don’t usually stay in luxury hotels. A good 3- or 4-star hotel that meets basic needs is typically sufficient. A gym is a bonus. During my second visit to Eskişehir, when I was touring the city and visiting museums, I stayed at a really nice boutique hotel built right next to the Odunpazarı Modern Museum by its founders. If you ever find yourself in Eskişehir, I recommend staying at Omm Inn: https://omminn.com/tr/anasayfa
Back to the race: I arrived in Eskişehir on the afternoon of Saturday, August 24. My first stop was to pick up my race kit at the event venue. Last time, I had to wait in line in the heat, but this time it was smooth and quick. After checking in at the hotel, my first mission was dinner at Ayten Usta in Odunpazarı. In my opinion, it’s one of the best restaurants in Eskişehir. The food is both delicious and visually appealing, and they serve creative variations on Turkish cuisine.
Pre-Race Routine
After dinner and a quick shopping trip, I returned to the hotel. Wanting to see the area around the hotel, I took a short stroll along the Porsuk River and then headed back to my room. After catching up on some emails, I did some stretching and went to bed early.
The next morning, I woke up early, got ready, had breakfast, and made my way to the race venue. Like last year, the half marathon (21 K) started at 8:00 a.m. on 25 August. The 10 K race, which I ran, started at 8:15.
A Race Plan Suited to My Injuries
Just like last year, I was dealing with injuries to my piriformis and hamstring. So as agreed with Coach Mehmet, I planned to start the race cautiously and maintain a steady pace without pushing myself.
And I stuck to the plan—until the last kilometer. I completed the 10.1 K course in 43 minutes. My hamstring tightened up right from the first kilometer, which prevented me from picking up speed, but overall, the run felt comfortable. While 43 minutes isn’t my personal best, it was still a solid performance considering the injury. Plus, I ran nearly 90 seconds faster than I did last year (44:26). The course is mostly flat, but there are two steep hills that add a challenge.
A Surprise Sprint at the Finish
With just 1 km to go, a clearly out-of-shape guy overtook me. He was really straining, breathing heavily, and looked like he was about to pass out. I was curious who he was and why he was pushing so hard, so I picked up the pace slightly to catch up. When I got close, he noticed and sped up even more, breathing even harder. To be honest, it annoyed me a bit. I wasn’t racing him—I was injured and had agreed with my coach not to exceed a certain pace. I told myself, “Serhan, keep it cool. Don’t get carried away.” But then another voice inside me said, “Even if you’re injured, show this guy how to finish strong.” Unfortunately, I listened to that second voice. With 700 meters left, I locked in a faster pace right behind him. At 300 meters to go, I sprinted about 50 meters ahead. I passed him in the final 100 meters. When he heard me coming, he tried to sprint too, but it was too late. I passed him comfortably and even widened the gap a bit. The crowd near the finish line got excited—cheering, clapping, shouting. After crossing the finish, they even announced, “Some runners are speeding up toward the end—bravo, Serhan!” It was a funny moment. I looked back at the guy after the race—he looked like he was going to collapse. He was sitting on the ground, scowling.
The Pain Returns
In hindsight, pushing the pace during the last kilometer wasn’t the smartest move. Just three minutes after finishing, I felt a sharp pain in my hamstring. My right leg hurt more, but I felt it in both.
As soon as I felt it, I did some stretches in the park where the race had started, then rushed back to the hotel. I stretched again in the gym, which helped relieve some of the pain.
I packed quickly and checked out. On the way back to Istanbul, I reflected on how much I had enjoyed the whole experience—but I also hoped that giving in to adrenaline wouldn’t delay my recovery too much.
Thankfully, it didn’t take long. I was back to running two weeks later.
Low-Training Ayvalık Run
Having just recovered and with only one “easy pace” training run under my belt, I headed to Ayvalık on Friday, 13 September. Like Eskişehir, I had run there the year before and wrote about it in my blog post titled “Running, Fish, Ayvalık”: https://www.serhansuzer.com/tr/kosu-balik-ayvalik
I’d had such a good time last year that I decided to return. Upon arriving in Ayvalık, my first stop was to pick up my race kit before checking into the hotel. At the event square, I ran into the owner of Sedoxy, the company organizing the race. Here’s how our conversation went:
– Last year I suggested you hold races in fun destinations like Ayvalık and Avşa Island on Saturdays. Looks like you pulled it off this year—well done!
– Yes, we got lots of feedback like yours, so we decided to give it a try. People like to relax and enjoy themselves on Saturday nights. Convincing the municipality wasn’t easy, though. Saturdays are much busier than Sundays and closing streets for traffic is harder.
– But our route is outside the busy city center, so it shouldn’t be a big problem.
– True, we’ve adjusted the route a bit. Hopefully we can keep doing Saturday races every year.
– I hope so. Best of luck with the event. See you tomorrow!
– Thanks! See you then.
This time, I stayed in a guesthouse in the city center. It wasn’t the easiest due to the narrow streets and limited parking, but based on my experience, I managed it smoothly—no accidents, no hassles, and no parking fees.
The National Anthem at the Square
That evening, I witnessed a remarkable scene in the city center, which I described in another blog post titled “We Are All Soldiers of Mustafa Kemal”: https://www.serhansuzer.com/tr/hepimiz-mustafa-kemalin-askerleriyiz
To recap: While I was enjoying a coffee at the central square in Ayvalık, a public announcement came over the loudspeakers:
“Dear residents of Ayvalık, due to the special significance of today (not sure what the occasion was), we will soon sing our National Anthem together. Everyone is invited to join.”
Suddenly, the anthem began playing. I immediately stood up and joined in. Everyone around me, the cafes, shopkeepers, and pedestrians, stood at attention and sang the anthem in unison.
Except for three bearded men who looked like religious clerics (I assumed they were immigrants). They were taking photos during the anthem. The man in front of me couldn’t take it—he stopped singing and shouted, “Look at these clowns, taking selfies during the National Anthem!” People around them started giving them angry looks. Realizing they were causing offense, the men stopped and stood up.
After witnessing so many incidents recently that go against the values of the Republic, this moment in Ayvalık felt like a breath of fresh air. I thought to myself, “Here are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal. Everyone singing the anthem here in unison is a soldier of Mustafa Kemal.”
Chatting with the Cats and Dogs
Later, I finished some work on my laptop, then went to a pasta place I’d scouted out earlier for some pre-race carbs. After dinner, I stopped by a café, ordered a cold sandwich to eat before the run the next morning, and treated myself to dessert.
Back at the guesthouse, I finalized my prep and went to bed early. The next morning, I woke up early again and had breakfast. The guesthouse owner had a lovely dog I’d spent time with the day before. This time, as I sat outside at 6 a.m. eating my sandwich, 6 or 7 kittens gathered around. They started climbing up my leg and meowing, so I gave them all the cheese from my sandwich. Then their mom arrived, and I gave her the last piece. After finishing breakfast, I got ready and headed out.
A Good Result Given the Conditions
I parked near the race area and began warming up. The half marathon started at 9 a.m., the 10 K (my race) at 9:15, and the 5 km at 9:30. The inclusion of a 5 K option made this race stand out—it’s a great alternative for runners.
Because I was still recovering, because Ayvalık’s course is hillier than Eskişehir’s, and because the weather was hot like a summer day, I ran at a slower pace. I kept it steady and finished the 10k in 44:41. I was happy with the result, especially since I stayed under 45 minutes without much effort. I placed 19th among the men and 8th in my age group.
Speed, Strength, and Flexibility
On the way back to Istanbul, I thought about how I could fully recover from my injuries and return to training in top form. I already knew the answer: to keep progressing, I need to constantly stretch and strengthen my muscles.
That means at least 30 minutes of stretching before and after each workout (dynamic before running, static afterward). If I can find the time, I should also stretch in the mornings and before bed. If I can add strength training at least three times a week, I believe I can finally overcome these persistent injuries.
After all, a good athlete needs three qualities: speed, strength, and flexibility. And flexibility is the area I need to work on most.
Tags: sports, life, travel, special occasions, health, education
