As part of the May 19 Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day at Hacettepe University, 777 participants competed in the "1st Hacettepe Youth Run," which started at 11:00 AM and was organized in collaboration with the Faculty of Sport Sciences, the Department of Health, Culture and Sports, the Hacettepe Running Community, and the Recreation Community.
Speaking at the event, Hacettepe University Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Cahit Güran highlighted the significance of the day with the following remarks: “On May 14, our university was awarded second place in the ‘Sports-Friendly Campus’ competition, which was open to applications from all universities, but only 47 were granted the title. Hacettepe stands for science, quality education, art, culture and also for sports. May 19 does not only mark the day Atatürk landed in Samsun to begin the national struggle; it is the day the spark of sovereignty and independence was ignited. I am truly pleased to be with you in this organization, which is being carried out in a manner that truly reflects the spirit of this special day.”
Following Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Cahit Güran’s speech, the race commenced and concluded after participants completed the 5-kilometer course. In the women’s category, Fulya Kesebir secured first place, while Eylül Begüm Korkmaz and Eylül Erdoğan took second and third places, respectively.
In the men’s category, Necati Pekgöz finished first, followed by Ahmet Alper Sofuoğlu in second place and Bektaş Erdinç Boyalar in third.
Winners in both categories were awarded gym memberships.
In addition to the race, the “1st Hacettepe Youth Run” event, which continued from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, also brought the joy of traditional street games to life, connecting past and present.
