28.06.2026 17:00
Excitement of the 100th year is experienced in the Gazi Race. Thousands of racing enthusiasts eagerly await the race at Veliefendi Hippodrome, while families enjoyed fun times in the picnic area.
Known as the derby of Turkish racing and held in the name of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the Gazi Race will be run today for the 100th time at the Veliefendi Hippodrome.
TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE AT VELIEFENDI
Before the Gazi Race, which is the only uninterrupted event in Turkish sports history, many racing enthusiasts from 7 to 70 came to the hippodrome from the early hours of the day. In addition to those living in Istanbul, citizens arriving from outside the city did not miss this important event. Some came to the hippodrome with their families, had a picnic, and enjoyed the activities organized before the Gazi Race. Citizens who wanted to closely follow the excitement of the race shared their feelings with the Ihlas News Agency microphones.
A racing enthusiast who said they eagerly await the Gazi Race every year stated that the 100th Gazi Race is very meaningful. Another citizen, noting the density at the hippodrome, expressed that the Turkish nation always embraces the Gazi Race compared to leading sports branches.
Thirteen-year-old brothers İbrahim and İsmail also came to the field with their father to follow the race. İbrahim, one of the twin brothers, stated that he wants to own a horse in the future, saying, "It's the 100th year of the Gazi Race. In 10 years, at the 110th Gazi Race, I will be 23 years old, and my horse will win. My horse's name will be 'twins'."
At the hippodrome filled with tens of thousands of citizens, racing enthusiasts began to wait eagerly for the time of the Gazi Race.