Cotton Palace hosts Lykos Half Marathon on 25 October
Published on 09/27/2026 at 15:52 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Cotton Palace and the Lykos Half Marathon will come together in Denizli, Turkey, on 25 October 2026, when runners take part in races around the travertine terraces and Hierapolis. The event is being organised under the leadership of Denizli Metropolitan Municipality and begins with a Pasta Party on 24 October 2026.
Lykos Half Marathon reaches Cotton Palace on 25 October
The second Lykos Half Marathon is scheduled for Sunday, 25 October 2026. The organiser says the races will start between 9am and 9.10am, with 5K, 10K and 21K categories available. The programme is designed around the historic and natural setting rather than a separate city-centre course.
The event page places the race area at the site and says participants can travel independently or use shuttle services from Denizli city centre. A race-day timetable and venue details are published by the organiser. The same page states that the 5K, 10K and 21K races have separate categories, while the course will later reopen to vehicle traffic.
The weekend programme starts on 24 October 2026 with a Pasta Party at the Cotton Palace event area. Race kits are scheduled for collection at Forum Denizli on 23 and 24 October 2026, with an additional collection point at the event area on 24 October. Kits will not be distributed on race day.
Cotton Palace links running with Hierapolis ruins
The race takes place beside a landscape formed by mineral-rich springs. UNESCO describes the site as a combination of white travertine terraces, thermal springs and the remains of Hierapolis, an ancient city founded by the Attalid kings at the end of the second century BC.
The World Heritage property was inscribed in 1988 and includes cultural remains from the Greek, Roman and Byzantine periods. Its theatre, necropolis and other ruins sit alongside the terraces, creating a course setting in which the event date connects directly with the protected landscape. The UNESCO description of the World Heritage site records the relationship between the natural formations and the ancient settlement.
The launch information from ?hlas Haber Ajans? says the course brings athletes into the atmosphere of both the terraces and Hierapolis. It also reports that the municipality expects the race to support Denizli’s sports and tourism profile. The organiser’s programme therefore uses the heritage setting as part of the event itself, rather than treating the site as a background image.
The 2026 race weekend includes a separate pre-event gathering
The two-day structure gives visitors a fixed point before the main race. The Pasta Party is scheduled for Saturday, 24 October 2026, while the races and the subsequent awards ceremony are planned for Sunday, 25 October 2026. This places the main public activity within the October travel window for the region.
The launch report also identifies the event as a municipality-led sports programme. Its stated course setting includes the natural terraces and the ancient city, while the organiser’s English information confirms the start window and the race-kit arrangements. No regular visiting timetable for the heritage site is changed by the race information published for the weekend.
Visiting Cotton Palace: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Lykos Half Marathon takes place on 25 October 2026 at the Cotton Palace event area, with a Pasta Party scheduled there on 24 October 2026.
- Race-kit collection is scheduled for 23 and 24 October 2026 at Forum Denizli and for 24 October 2026 at the event area; kits are not distributed on race day.
- The organiser says participants can reach the event area independently or use shuttle services from Denizli city centre, and recommends public transport.
- The setting combines mineral terraces, thermal springs and ancient ruins, so visitors should expect uneven outdoor terrain and a course that passes through a protected archaeological landscape.
- Turkish is the official language and the 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 Palace
When does the Lykos Half Marathon take place at Cotton Palace?
The main races are scheduled for 25 October 2026, starting between 9am and 9.10am. A Pasta Party is planned for 24 October 2026.
Where is Cotton Palace and how do you get there?
The site is in Denizli, Turkey, beside the ruins of Hierapolis. The organiser says participants can travel independently or use shuttle services from Denizli city centre.
What is Cotton Palace?
It is a mineral-terrace and thermal-spring landscape beside the ancient city of Hierapolis. UNESCO lists the combined natural and cultural property as a World Heritage site, inscribed in 1988.
