27.06.2024
Cihan Baykal
Assistant Purchasing Manager
Mersin
It all started with a dream. Looking back, it has been two years since I shared my dream of running 100 km on the 100th anniversary of the Republic. I was deeply inspired and motivated by a friend in our running group who aimed to run “100 miles in the 100th year”. At that time, I had only run trails of 30-40 km and completed a half marathon a few times, without having attempted an ultra marathon of over 42 km. So, aiming for 100 km was not only exciting but also a daunting challenge for me.
I took the steps step by step and continued this sport steadily. In 2022, I first attempted the ultra-marathon distance twice, with distances of 48 km and 63 km. In 2023, I took part in three more ultra marathons with distances of 44 km, 57 km and 63 km. Unfortunately, I couldn’t participate in the Dag Yenice race, which was my first choice for attempting the 100 km, due to the earthquake in Kahramanmaras on the 100th anniversary of our Republic and the subsequent decrease in training volume.
In summary, I have participated in a total of 6 ultra-distance races since 2022 when I set the goal of running 100 km. Three of them were over 60 kilometers. Almost all of these races I mentioned lasted between 8-10 hours. I gained the ultra experience in a wide range of geographical and climatic conditions.
As the Dag Yenice 100 ultra-marathon, which I had postponed until 2024, approached, my excitement matched the intensity I felt when I first set this goal, though my anxiety had decreased since then.
The Dag Yenice 100 would start at 21:00 in the evening and would probably last 15 hours or longer. Running all night long and being sleep deprived made me anxious. Luckily, the week before the race, we did a 3-hour night run in Mersin, which helped alleviate some of my anxiety about running at night.
Running 100 km was a completely different experience. We started well with 6 people enjoying it. Around the 30 km mark, I faced a significant mental challenge, but the new friends I met on the course helped me push through and continue the race. I even experienced hallucinations a few times at night while navigating the challenging forest stages. In the second 50 km I slowed down a lot, especially on the hard hills. In the last 10 kilometers of the race, I regained my strength and finished strong, proudly carrying our flag. When I stopped my watch, it said I had run 101 kilometers.
Maybe not 100 km in the 100th year, but 101 km in the 101st year seems even more beautiful… Another significant milestone has been achieved, and we have truly become ultramarathoners. New dreams, new places, new goals await us now.
