Athletes rush to the summit of Mount Tahtalı, 2,365 meters above sea level
ANTALYA – Demirören News Agency
Runners from around the world gathered in the Mediterranean province of Antalya for the highly anticipated Corendon Airlines Tahtalı Run to Sky competition held from May 13-15.
class=”cf”>
Some 618 athletes from 18 countries took part in the running event, which started at sea level and ended atop Mount Tahtalı, 2,365 meters above sea level.
The competition included four challenging stages: Tahtalı Ultra Sky, Berg Sky Race, Run to Sky Race and KemeRun.
Kaan Tuna won the race after a struggle with formidable and changing weather conditions on the outskirts of Mount Tahtalı, also known as Olympus in Greek mythology, marking the first victory of his skyrunning career.
Aleksandr Strukov won the Berg Sky Race, a 65 kilometer race with an elevation gain of 4,300 meters, offering a magnificent view of Mount Tahtalı and its surrounding nature.
Zülfü Karabulut came first in the Run to Sky race. Departing from one of the 10 most beautiful beaches in the world, Çıralı beach, it is a 27 kilometer long stage with an elevation gain of 2,650 meters. At the same time, the women’s track record was broken by Russian athlete Ekaterina Ryazanova, covering 27 kilometers in less than four hours.
The KemeRun stage, added this year only to the competition, is a 12 kilometer race with an elevation gain of 400 meters. Giving a chance to see Kemer’s unparalleled natural beauties, history and culture, Mustafa Çınar and Hülya Kıvrak came first in the KemeRun stage of the competition.
class=”cf”>
The competition, sponsored by Corendon Airlines, was organized in cooperation with Kemer Municipality, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Antalya Governor’s Office, Kemer Governor’s Office, Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, Turkish Athletics Federation and Beydağları Beach National Park.