Why Not Meet at Noon?!

On Sunday we had a very wet, pleasant run in the Belgrade Forest. We even saw one man running with an umbrella! But we were only five. Someone suggested if we changed our time from 8:00 to 12:00, more people would participate. What do you think?

On Saturday we ran with Adim Adim, which has 50 people running various events in Antalya on 2 March. Alp set a grueling pace for us, and we now wonder what surprises he has in store. After 12 km, we went to Yenikoy for breakfast.

Speaking of the Antalya Marathon, the online registration and reservation are very easy, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the event comes off. So far, it appears well organized.

We also met early for a couple of mid-week runs – one along the Bosphorus from Kuruçeşme to Rumeli Hisar and another from Taksim to the Veli Efendi Race Track in Zeytinburnu. Parts of this second run were quite pleasant, especially along the sea in front of Cerrahpaşa. An area ripe for redevelopment? The race track is hidden from view by a high concrete wall, and the final leg back to the Zeytinburnu Metro station was terribly ugly.

Might the city upgrade the sidewalks in this part of town? Spacious, tree-lined pedestrian paths would undoubtedly encourage people of all ages to get out of the house, elevate the heart rate and take a new look at their surroundings. It only takes a plan and some persistence, right?

Ok, here’s an idea: pedestrian and bike paths linking Gaziosmanpaşa and the Alibeyköy Reservoir with Kağıthane and Eyüp, and, eventually, linking Zeytinburnu with Şişli, Mecidiyeköy, Levent and Beşiktaş. If Paris can do it, why not Istanbul? Is the city already planning something like this?