Cotton Castle hosts Lykos race on 25 October 2026

Cotton Castle, the English translation of Pamukkale (Turkish: Pamukkale), will form the setting for the Lykos Half Marathon in Denizli on 25 October 2026. Hosted by Denizli Metropolitan Municipality, the event will start at Kocaçukur and run towards the travertine terraces and Hierapolis.

Lykos Half Marathon starts at Cotton Castle on 25 October

The official Lykos race programme lists the 21K start at 9am on 25 October 2026. The 5K and 10K races are scheduled to begin at 9.08am, with a concert planned from 11.30am and an awards ceremony at 12.30pm.

The event combines three road-race distances with a route through a protected archaeological and natural landscape. The organiser places the finish among the travertines, while the race website describes the course as running between the white terraces and the ancient city of Hierapolis. This gives the scheduled race a direct link to the landmark rather than to a separate city venue.

Denizli Metropolitan Municipality is the host, while the Lykos organisation publishes the programme and participant information. The event is open to registered runners, and the programme also lists a public 5K alongside the 10K and 21K races.

Travertines and Hierapolis shape the Lykos route

The World Heritage Centre describes the site as a landscape created by calcite-laden springs emerging from a cliff almost 200 metres high. The water formed mineral terraces, petrified waterfalls and stepped basins above the plain in Denizli Province.

Hierapolis grew as a Hellenistic thermal town after the Attalid kings of Pergamon established a spa there at the end of the second century BC. Its remains include baths, temples, a monumental arch, a necropolis and a theatre. The link between the race and the site is therefore physical as well as visual: runners pass through a landscape whose natural terraces and ancient city were inscribed together as a UNESCO World Heritage property in 1988.

The route also makes the terrain relevant to visitors. The organisers describe the course as including uneven ground and cobbled sections inside Hierapolis. A race taking place across those surfaces will share the setting with archaeological remains, rather than using a conventional urban circuit.

Road closures will affect access on race day

Visitors travelling by road should expect restrictions around the site on 25 October 2026. A regional report says roads near Kocaçukur, the northern gate of Hierapolis, Karahayit and nearby streets will be closed or restricted between 7am and noon for the race.

The race-day traffic plan also lists sections of the Akkoy-Denizli road, Adnan Kahveci Boulevard and routes leading to the southern Hierapolis gate. Drivers should use alternative routes during the stated restriction period.

Visiting Cotton Castle: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The Lykos Half Marathon takes place on 25 October 2026, starting at Kocaçukur and using the travertine and Hierapolis area.
• Road access around the northern gate, southern gate and nearby streets will be restricted from 7am to noon on 25 October 2026.
• The site is in Denizli Province, and the race programme names Kocaçukur, Forum Denizli and the Hierapolis area as event locations.
• The landscape includes stepped travertine terraces, uneven ground and archaeological remains, including a theatre and necropolis.
• 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 race takes place on 25 October 2026. The 21K starts at 9am, followed by the 5K and 10K at 9.08am.

Where is Cotton Castle and how do you get there?

The site is in Denizli Province in south-western Turkey. The race programme identifies Kocaçukur and the Hierapolis area as event locations, with road restrictions affecting access on 25 October 2026.

What is Cotton Castle?

It is the English translation used for Pamukkale, a calcite terrace landscape formed by hot springs above the ancient city of Hierapolis. UNESCO inscribed the combined property in 1988.