The sixth Istanbul Bosphorus Triathlon began in Beykoz with the start given by Özge Erdem, president of Marketing and Health, Oral Care Commercial Operations at P&G Türkiye and the Caucasus, and Bayram Yalçınkaya, president of the Turkish Triathlon Federation.
Nearly 1,000 local and international athletes took part in the event, which began at sunrise. The triathletes competed on a course consisting of 2.2 kilometers of swimming, 40 kilometers of cycling and 10 kilometers of running.
Triathletes crossed from Asia to Europe
The swimming leg of the race took place between Kanlıca and Küçüksu. After the swimming leg, the athletes crossed from Asia to Europe via the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, which was closed to vehicle traffic, and completed the cycling course.
After the cycling leg, the triathletes moved to the running course between Küçüksu and Çubuklu and reached the finish line at the end of the leg.
An aquathlon race was also held for the first time this year as part of the event. Consisting of swimming and running legs, the aquathlon allowed athletes to complete the course without taking part in the cycling leg.
Age-group overall classification winners
In the men's age-group overall classification, Mikhail Venediktov of Ata Yahşi Sports Club took first place. Individual athlete İlker Kökçe finished second, while Bahadır Tama of Antalyaspor Club came third.
In the women's classification, Ece Calp of Ata Yahşi Sports Club took first place. Sinem Yalçınkaya of Battal Swimming and Triathlon Sports Club finished second, while İrem Görmüş of Triathlon Sports Club came third.
Every finish supported children's oral and dental health
A social responsibility project was also carried out at the event in cooperation with Oral-B and the Mother Child Education Foundation (AÇEV). Under the project, every athlete who completed the course contributed to initiatives focused on children's oral and dental health.
Özge Erdem said the company brings its products to consumers in eight out of every 10 families and that this carries great responsibility for them. Erdem said that, alongside offering consumers the best products, they also attach importance to corporate citizenship and contributing to social development.
Stating that sport is important for a healthier body and life, Erdem highlighted the importance of oral health for overall physical health. She said triathlon is a distinctive sport that combines swimming, cycling and running and requires strength, endurance and determination.
Erdem announced that educational materials and product support would be provided to help develop oral and dental health habits among children as part of the cooperation between Oral-B and AÇEV. Saying that developing the habit of brushing teeth at an early age is important for individual and public health, Erdem stated that every triathlete who crossed the finish line contributed to this initiative.
Erdem also said that the Oral-B iO toothbrush was developed after a six-year research and development process and uses artificial intelligence to reach areas that are difficult to access. She said Oral-B Clinical White toothpaste provides whitening in one day, prevents stain formation on tooth enamel and protects tooth enamel.
Federation highlights safety and organization
Bayram Yalçınkaya, president of the Turkish Triathlon Federation, said the event has continued to develop since its first edition. Yalçınkaya said they had to limit registration this year after taking into account course and athlete safety as well as the duration of road closures, and announced that nearly 1,000 athletes from more than 10 countries competed.
Yalçınkaya said the Asian and European championships were held at the same event for the first time last year, adding that this had never been done before in any discipline. He also said the public institutions involved in the event had developed institutional experience concerning the race.
Yalçınkaya said Oral-B's support had made a significant contribution to promoting triathlon, and expressed satisfaction that the race had become a tradition and continued to develop each year.
