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Runtalya: Antalya 10K

After the Istanbul Marathon, David really wanted to run another race. Several of our friends signed up for Runtalya and he decided to join them. A month before the race, David sprained his ankle and was on crutches for over a week. It took a while, but it healed enough for him to run in the 10K.

We left after school on the last day of March and traveled south to Antalya. It was a very quick trip. We got in late on Friday, hung out Saturday, they ran Sunday morning, and we left Sunday afternoon.

 

Ankara to Antalya

 

Where we stayed: We stayed at Altun Apart Hotel and highly recommend it. Each “room” is a small apartment with a bedroom, living area, and small kitchenette. It was very clean and the owners were friendly and accommodating. We had two rooms; the guys stayed in one and they let us squeeze five girls into the other.

It was nice to have a day before the race. We slept in and walked to Konyaaltı Beach, just a few blocks from our hotel. It was overcast and foggy, but we could still see an outline of the mountains in the distance.

 

David on the Antalya beach

 

Leah on the Antalya beach

 

Rocky beach

 

Antalya beach and mountains

 

We found a cafe near the water for breakfast. It was a little chilly out, but warmer than it was in Ankara.

 

Antalya restaurant

 

I love Turkish breakfast! You can find it buffet style at most hotels. Restaurants also serve single portions or family style. Turkish breakfast includes cucumbers, tomatoes, cheese, meat, pastries, fruit, bread, and çay. Yum!

 

Turkish breakfast in Antalya

 

After breakfast, we went to the race check-in at Terra City mall. Then we got coffee and walked around the old city. The port was really pretty at night:

 

Antalya port

 

The next morning was race day. It was a smaller event than the Istanbul Marathon. Still, the energy at these races just might be enough to inspire me to run one someday.

 

Runtalya start

 

Three of us tagged along as cheerleaders. We went up on the overpass before the start of the 10K. It was a sea of bright colors below us!

 

Runtalya 10k Start

 

Here’s David in the last stretch of his race:

 

David running towards the finish line

 

And there he goes to the finish line! He passed a couple of people at the end.

 

David finishing his 10k

 

David's 10k Medal

 

There is something really incredible about the race community. Here’s a group called Adım Adım (“step by step”) that runs for charity:

 

Runtalya

 

We saw runners both young and old:

 

Older runtalya athlete

 

This man is an incredible athlete. We also saw him at the Istanbul Marathon.

 

Runtalya runner on crutches

 

There was even a man who juggled while he ran:

 

Runtalya runner juggling

 

All of our friends ran the 10K. After they finished, we stuck around to see the first place marathoner:

 

The marathon winner

 

It was a great weekend getaway!

 

The runners and cheerleaders

 

David was happy with his time of 52:36 considering he had just come off of an injury. See his results on the Runtalya website. You can search for “Benedid.”

 

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