Cotton Castle hosts the Lykos Half Marathon on 25 October
Published on 10/04/2026 at 04:23 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Cotton Castle in Denizli, Turkey, will provide the setting for the Lykos Half Marathon on 25 October 2026, bringing a public road race to a World Heritage landscape. The course links the white travertine terraces with the ancient city of Hierapolis, making the event a practical reason to visit the site in October.
The Lykos Half Marathon starts on 25 October
The official organiser lists the Lykos Half Marathon for Sunday, 25 October 2026, in Denizli. The programme includes 5K, 10K and 21K categories, while the route finishes with a two-kilometre section on the cobbled surfaces inside the ancient city.
The organiser's English event page places the race between the travertine terraces and Hierapolis. Its description also identifies the ancient settlement's theatre, baths and ancient pool as features of the historic setting. The event therefore uses the archaeological landscape as more than a backdrop: runners move through part of the ruins before reaching the finish. The official race description gives the date and the relationship between the course and the site.
The organiser's programme sets the start for 9am on 25 October 2026. A separate pre-race gathering is listed for 24 October at the natural park event area, but the main public date for the half marathon is 25 October 2026.
Cotton Castle combines terraces with Hierapolis
The World Heritage property is formed by a natural and archaeological landscape in Denizli province. Calcite-rich thermal waters have created mineral formations, petrified waterfalls and a series of stepped basins on a cliff overlooking the plain.
UNESCO records that the Attalid kings of Pergamon established the thermal spa of Hierapolis at the end of the second century BC. The city later flourished under Roman rule, and its remains include baths, temples, a monumental arch, a necropolis and a theatre. The property was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1988, according to the UNESCO property record.
That history gives the 25 October race a clear geographical shape. The terraces represent the site's living geological process, while the final two kilometres place the event among the remains of the ancient spa town.
Visiting Cotton Castle: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Lykos Half Marathon takes place on 25 October 2026, with the race start listed for 9am and the course based around the terraces and Hierapolis.
- The route includes a two-kilometre cobbled section inside the ancient city, so participants should expect uneven historic surfaces rather than an entirely smooth road course.
- The site is in Denizli province in south-western Turkey, and the race materials identify the start area as the ancient city of Hierapolis.
- The landscape includes stepped travertine basins and a cliff almost 200 metres high above the plain, according to UNESCO. Visitors should therefore expect changes in level and historic paving around the archaeological remains.
- Turkish is the official language and the national currency is the Turkish lira.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Cotton Castle
When does the Lykos Half Marathon take place at Cotton Castle?
The Lykos Half Marathon starts on 25 October 2026, with the organiser listing a 9am start.
Where is Cotton Castle and how do you get there?
The site is in Denizli province in south-western Turkey. The race materials identify the ancient city of Hierapolis as the start area.
What is Cotton Castle?
It is a natural and archaeological World Heritage landscape combining calcite terraces formed by thermal waters with the ruins of Hierapolis.
