The 15th TransAnatolia Rally Raid Concludes After 2,190 km of Adventure

One of the world’s most challenging rally raid events, the 15th TransAnatolia Rally Raid, has successfully concluded after a thrilling 2,190 km journey across the breathtaking landscapes of Anatolia. The competition, which began in Bursa on August 30, brought together 98 competitors from 8 countries and reached its grand finale in Bolu on September 6.

Organised with the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the General Directorate of Forestry, and the Turkish Automobile Sports Federation (TOSFED), this year’s event showcased both endurance and adventure across motorcycles, 4×4 cars, SSVs, quads, and trucks.

The rally featured two categories: Rally, where competitors raced against the clock, and Raid, focused on navigation and strategy. The route spanned 17 provinces, taking racers from Bursa through Kütahya, Bilecik, Eskişehir, Afyon, Ankara, Konya, Aksaray, Niğde, Nevşehir, Kayseri, Yozgat, Çorum, Kastamonu, Çankırı, before finishing in Bolu.

The competition was not without its challenges. On August 31, during the opening stage, ATV rider Hasan Yatgın tragically lost his life in an accident, leading to a one-day pause in the race. Later incidents included British rider Robin Lynch sustaining a rib fracture and Italian SSV racers Federico Butto & Emiliano Tinaburri losing their vehicle to fire—fortunately escaping unharmed thanks to quick emergency response.

Official Results

Motorcycle Category – Castrol Power 1

 Thomas Marini (San Marino) – 14h 27m 26s

 Paolo Degiacomi (Italy) – 14h 32m 35s

 Maikol Reboldi (Italy) – 15h 53m 52s

(Turkish contender Murat Yazıcı was forced to withdraw from podium contention due to a late technical issue.)

SSV Category

  Paul Severin & Delphine Delfino (UK) – 15h 07m 04s

  Marian Andreev & Marius Aurelian Pop (Romania) – 16h 32m 39s

  Lurens Maijer & Robbert Visser (Netherlands) – 17h 34m 58s

Automobile Category

    Bekir Kuvvet Erim & Onur Sırımoğlu (Toyota Hilux) – 19h 35m 35s

    Mitat Diker & Erdal Oral (Suzuki Grand Vitara) – 28h 06m 21s

    Hüseyin Kurt & Özaydın Dölek (Mitsubishi L200) – 33h 13m 21s

Truck Category

    Marino Mutti & Andrea Mazzoleni (Italy, Mercedes Unimog) – 17h 02m 25s

Raid Category – Top 3

   Murat Ali İçoğulları & Kerem Eldem

    Birol Yücel & Cem Topçuoğlu

    Gerçek Sunman & Bahar Sunman