🏃♀️ Salomon Cappadocia Ultra Trail 2024: My First-Ever Trail Marathon
The Salomon Cappadocia Ultra Trail is more than a race—it's an adventure through one of the world’s most magical landscapes. The route winds through the UNESCO World Heritage valleys and villages of Cappadocia, Turkey, combining natural wonder with physical challenge.
This year, the event was held on October 18–19, 2024. Until recently, I had never run a full marathon or even a trail race, despite being a regular road runner. But thanks to a friend’s enthusiastic push, I found myself signing up—just three months before race day!
Now, with the 38km course behind me and a huge sense of accomplishment in my heart, I’d love to share my experience with you.
🎽 What Is the Salomon Cappadocia Ultra Trail?This world-class trail running event is sponsored by Salomon, the renowned French outdoor brand founded in 1947. Alongside Salomon, other major sponsors like the Turkish Tourism Promotion and Development Agency, Garmin, and Intersport contribute to making this an unforgettable event.
The race began in 2014 with only a grueling 110km ultra marathon, but due to increasing popularity and demand for more accessible distances, two additional categories were introduced:
- CUT (Cappadocia Medium Trail) – 63km
- CST (Cappadocia Short Trail) – 38km
I participated in the CST 38km category this year—a first for me in trail running.
🛏️ Top Places to Stay in Cappadocia ✅ Must-Do Activities in Cappadocia 🎒 The Kit Pick-Up – A Lesson LearnedIf you’re running next year, don’t forget your mandatory gear! All the required items are listed on the official website, but unfortunately, my friends and I didn’t read the list carefully. We showed up at the kit pick-up station on Friday, only to be told we wouldn’t receive our race kits without the proper equipment.
We had to drive an hour back to our hotel to fetch everything:
- Trail running shoes
- 1L of water
- Whistle
- Emergency blanket
- Elastic collapsible cup
- Bandages
Only after showing all of these were we allowed to collect our race kits. It seems this gear check system was newly implemented this year, as returning runners mentioned it wasn’t so strict in previous editions.
🏞️ The Start: Scenic, Steep, and CrowdedAt 10 AM sharp, we gathered at the starting line in Göreme, where runners could also drop their belongings using official kit bags. Although positions were assigned by bib numbers, the atmosphere was relaxed and many runners freely chose where to start.
The first 1–2km were steep and crowded—so much so that running was nearly impossible. But soon, the path opened onto grassy fields and scenic trails, and I found myself stopping to take in the views: surreal valleys, historic cave homes, and layered rock formations straight out of a painting.
After weaving through small streets and a photogenic stretch past cave hotels, we reached the first checkpoint at 12km—offering water, cola, bananas, and cereal bars.
🧗♀️ The Middle: Wild, Raw, and BeautifulBetween the first and second checkpoints was my favorite section of the trail. The route grew wilder as we ducked through natural caves, crossed logs over muddy ponds, and clambered over rocks large and small. It felt like an outdoor obstacle course designed by Mother Nature herself.
The second checkpoint, around 24km in, provided a welcome break—with cakes, biscuits, bread, and all the usual energy foods. Some runners sat and chatted, while others grabbed a quick bite and kept moving. I chose a middle path—enough time to refuel and mentally prepare for what was ahead.
🥵 The Final Stretch: Pain, Perseverance, and a Shared
The final 14km tested everything—my stamina, mindset, and willpower. Around a small farm with goats and stone houses, the trail plunged back into rugged terrain. I constantly checked my Garmin watch, which seemed frozen in time as the kilometers crept by.
No one talked during this phase. Everyone focused inward. Yet there was an unspoken bond among us—mutual respect, silent encouragement, and a collective will to finish.
I battled the fear of getting lost, tripping on uneven paths, or even encountering wildlife. But eventually, with aching legs and a full heart, I saw the finish line.
🏁 Finish Time: 5 Hours 11 Minutes
Crossing that line was unforgettable. I had never run such a long distance in nature before, and completing my first-ever trail marathon—in Cappadocia, of all places—felt like a personal turning point.
Trail running in a landscape like this is more than a physical challenge. It’s a deep mental journey that helps you discover what you're capable of. I feel stronger, more focused, and endlessly inspired by this experience.
💬 Final ThoughtsWhether you're a seasoned trail runner or a curious beginner like I was, the Salomon Cappadocia Ultra Trail is something truly special. It’s not just about racing—it’s about immersing yourself in nature, pushing your limits, and connecting with people from around the world.
So if you’re thinking about it… just go for it. You might surprise yourself.
Meshiagare—and see you on the trails next year!
Where is Bodrum?
Bodrum is a city in the Southern part of Turkey, stretching into the Aegean Sea. Now during summer, Bodrum is one of the most popular places to visit in Turkey, not only for locals, but also for foreigners. High tourist season is June to September when the price of accommodation and the flight gets two to four times higher than the rest of the seasons. Thus, we decided to visit Bodrum at the end of May at the last moment before the seasonal price sets. Throughout the year, generally, the weather in the Southern part of Turkey such as Bodrum, Antalya, and Mersin, etc. is moderate and warmer than any region in Turkey, approximately 15-17℃ in winter, so I would like to recommend those regions that are worth visiting even in winter if you are looking for places can be away from the cold.
Top Places to Stay in Bodrum
Must-Do Activities in Bodrum
First day
Upon arrival at the Milas-Bodrum airport, you can easily find the shuttle bus going to the center bus terminal Gümbet, which takes around 50-55min, and only cash is accepted 100TL on the bus. From the Gümbet bus terminal, there are mainly three ways to head to the city center. One is a local minibus, which we actually struggled to find the right bus due to the unfriendly information for the foreigners, which had no English signs and nobody speaking English there. However, if you can find the right bus, a local minibus should be the most reasonable transportation cost around 50TL only for 15 minutes.
We ended up getting a taxi paid 400TL(around 10$) to get to our hotel.
All-inclusive hotel
Most hotels in Bodrum offer an all-inclusive service, providing all-day unlimited meals (afternoon snack and midnight snack!) and alcohol, facilitated with a private beach, a swimming pool, and host some shows on the stage at night, which would definitely give you reasons why everyone does not want to get out of the hotel. Some regular hotels are not all-inclusive style, but I would highly recommend booking all-inclusive hotels because the hotel price is much more reasonable compared to the other beach resorts such as in Alanya and Antalya or even foreign countries like Marta, Niece, and Santorini.
Exploring City
Despite the perfect stay in the Hotel, of course, we still wanted to discover the city. Local bus heading to the port side is very convenient and runs every 20 minutes from the hotel area. Walking takes about 50 minutes, but along the way, we could enjoy the beautiful whitewashed cottages with colorful flowers, and some historical place called Myndos Gate, one of two ornamental gates from the time of the city of Halicarnassus, for free of charge.
Passing through the ports and some restaurants, you should find the Bodrum Castle, well known as the Castle of St. Peter (https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/6121/) is standing towering over the city. The Museum of Underwater Archeology is also located inside the Bodrum castle. The castle was built by the Knights Hospitallers of St. John between 1402 and 1437, and throughout the centuries, the walls were created by mixing culture of Gothic and Ottoman architectural elements, being defended by the knights of the multiple nationalities.
Opening Hours : 8:30 AM-7:00 PM
Admission Fees : 24 €
Shopping at the Bazar
Bazar is the most buzzing area in Bodrum because it has everything, cafe, seafood restaurants with fantastic views, souvenir stores for textiles, Turkish pottery, sweets, etc.
After walking all day, we went back to our hotel and relaxed on the beach enjoying the unlimited meals and waiting for the sunset.
Second Day
It was hard to leave the hotel like a dream, but the checkout time came. We walked to another must-see spot, the Antique Theatre, a 30-minute walk away from our hotel. This historical amphitheater was built in the 4th century B.C., just like masterpieces of ancient Greece, with an attached stage, stone seats in the audience area, and an orchestra. Although it was too hot to stay if there was a show in the daytime, but the view from the top of the audience seats was spectacular seeing the ocean across the road.
Back in the Bodrum Marina area, we chilled having a coffee beside the area of hundreds of yachts. It is also possible to join a half-day, day, or multiple-day yacht tour of the Aegean, depending on your availability. If you feel the Bazar area is too noisy with too many tourists, you can walk a bit towards the Marina Yacht Club Bodrum for 20 minutes through the arcade street with wine shops and a variety of stores, there are more collections of luxury dining restaurants and cafes that offer a calm and peaceful atmosphere.
Bodrum looks most impressive from its beautiful beaches and collections of better-service hotels, but also the historic collections tell you stories of architectural history. The town gives you opportunities to experience a mix of sights and pleasures from ancient history and enthusiastic vibes.
