Write: Melih Uslu Photos:Ahmet Bilal Arslan

Anatolia, the Victor of Lycian Way

The second Lycian Way Ultra Marathon (LYUM), Turkey’s first ultra marathon, was completed this year.

The 240-kilometer marathon—in which twenty-seven individual and twelve institutional runners participated—began in Kayaköy, Fethiye, and ended in the ruins of the ancient town of Phaselis near Antalya. Athletes battled challenging environmental conditions over the six days of the race, running through one stage every day. This year’s top runner was Mustafa Kızıltaş, who finished the marathon with a time of 31:29:42.

Runners wishing to draw attention to matters of social responsibility, meanwhile, ran for different reasons. National athlete Kemal Özdemir, nicknamed “Running Man,” ran in the name of the TEMA Foundation to support its tree-planting efforts, while Cenk Kasım Turan ran for the Social Volunteers Foundation. Alper Dalkılıç ran in the name of the Turkish Environmental and Woodlands Protection society with the slogan “Giving Life to Anatolia,” with which he aimed to reach two thousand trees, and Aylin Savacı Armador ran in the name of the Spinal Cord Paralytics Association of Turkey.

About The Marathon
Next year, the Lycian Way Ultra Marathon is expected to be held once again in the last week of September. For information, see www.likyayoluultramaratonu.com

Mustafa Kızıltaş (First Place, LYUM 2011)
“For two years, I have been finishing first at the Lycian Way Ultra Marathon. In addition to physical conditioning and endurance, being successful on Lycian Way requires one to strategize correctly. Endurance races exceeding forty-two kilometers are called ultra marathons. Participants attempt to reach the next checkpoint in each stage without exceeding the time set for it. The Lycian Way Ultra Marathon, which is approximately 220 kilometers long, was accredited for international ultra marathons this year. Turkey’s third ultra marathon will be run in Cappadocia in summer 2012.”