Salomon Cappadocia Ultra Trail, which opened its doors to athletes from all over the world for the 10th time, was held with enthusiasm in October this year, blending with the rich culture of 71 different countries.
This very special event, which hosts shots that you will not see in the races you know, made us all share different emotions this year, as it does every year. Let's now accompany the moments of this unique race with photographs that each tell their story from a different perspective.
As in previous years, if there is a feeling strong enough to make us all forget the passion and ambition of the competition, it is always "friendship".
Is it possible not to be fascinated while passing through the high plateaus and valleys of Cappadocia? Running from one end to the other with such a unique view is like finding yourself in a fairytale atmosphere.
The hot and dusty paths during the day and the cold and harsh winds in the evening add a different dimension to each photograph taken during the 24-hour race in this fascinating atmosphere.
Every step is a brand new excitement! Opening the door to completely different lands, managing to impress with its unique features... Naturally, the next stop is always a matter of curiosity.
Although it is unknown where the next steps will take in the race, which has three different tracks of 38, 63 and 119 kilometers, choosing light clothing and equipment is an important point that will save lives. Just like the photographers who accompany the athletes from the first light of the morning until the cold night do not neglect raincoats for their equipment and prefer camera bodies and lenses that stand out with their lightness...
If the sweet smile that success makes you feel was a photograph, it would only look like this. Even though everyone's smile is different, it is nice when emotions are shared.
The secret of success for photographers who want to immortalize every moment in the unique race is planning.
While the hot air balloon, one of the iconic symbols of Cappadocia, swings in the sky with all its beauty, it seems that it has found the perfect partner to accompany its loneliness.
In order to capture this moment, details such as possible passage times of athletes from the areas and waiting time are calculated, while a perfect visual is created thanks to area and light control.
The competition takes on another dimension in team games, which are enjoyed by those who say, "What's the point of one hand, two hands have a voice?" Just like the precious meeting of nature and history, the taste of competing together is different!
While balloons are accompanied by the sky in this exciting atmosphere, it is the most critical point to witness those moments without disturbing the concentration of the athletes, especially in the 119-kilometer run, which is the longest and main track of the race.
This track, which consists of the most important locations of Cappadocia, invites you to challenge both physically and mentally. High altitude, harsh terrain and long distance are the most crucial but also exciting factors!
Although this valley is sometimes dusty and has difficult-to-control light transitions, the richness of the backgrounds hosts excellent wide-angle scenes.
After exiting the cave, the racers continue to race on the 119 km Ultra Trail course, greeting the dazzling sun in the first light of the morning and then preparing to face the green and blue of the Zemi Valley. Even the thought of taking a break from running for a moment and enjoying the view in front of this beauty is nice.
In this place, which has narrow paths and incredible ground formations, it is necessary to choose a safe area not to hinder the athletes, as well as to rely on lenses suitable for reverse and light shooting and the ISO performance of the camera.
Excitement, happiness, nervous waiting, pride and many other emotions are together in the same frame! That indescribable feeling in the body of approaching the finish by facing the difficulties and beauties of the race with a pleasant tiredness at times...
While we are on bumpy roads to share these indescribable feelings with larger audiences, the instant connection features of Canon's mirrorless R series cameras allow content to be easily shared simultaneously on social media.
It doesn't matter age, time or place. As long as you have enough passion to succeed. Little athletes who come to write their own stories with their small stature make us look at the race from a different perspective.
In these moments when the sun is at its highest, a camera that offers the best shooting experience, regardless of the conditions, makes the moment more beautiful.
This image reflected on the cameras while blowing like a wind in Ürgüp city center is nothing but a profile focused on and devoted to the final.
Canon EOS R3, which has eye, head and body detection features, plays the leading role in such moving action photographs.
As we approach the end step by step, the blending of the sadness of leaving Cappadocia behind with the pride of success creates this perfect moment.
At such moments, a wide angle is used to combine the track on which the athletes run with the unique view in the background; To capture the athletes' expressions, a telephoto lens must be used. Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 and Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 are the right choice in this regard.
And the finale... That moment when all words and all emotions are inadequate. You know what they say, "It can't be explained, it can only be experienced"... This is one of those moments...
In these moments when the photographers accompanying the athletes throughout the race share the same feelings, it makes us proud to choose a camera with sufficient battery performance as a companion. This year, as last year, all the unique moments that immortalized the Cappadocia Ultra Trail were recorded with Canon cameras. Many thanks to the GoShots team for these special shots.
