Two of Türkiye’s brightest young talents, national record-holders Derya Kunur and Elif Akçiçek, are grinding through double training sessions in Muş as they chase another milestone at the European Cross-Country Championships in Portugal on Dec. 14.
Nicknamed “Muş’s golden girls,” the 26-year-old Derya and 17-year-old Elif have turned local promise into national dominance, stacking medals at home and abroad while rewriting the record books in the steeplechase.
Their ascent – shaped by years of discipline on the cracked red lanes of the Muş Youth ve Sports track – now takes them to the continent’s toughest cross-country stage.
Derya’s breakthrough came early.
She shattered Türkiye’s U-20 3,000-meter steeplechase record in 2017 and added the 2,000-meter steeplechase mark the following year – both records she still holds.
Her form has remained sharp; she finished third individually at the Balkan Championships in Romania last month, helping Türkiye’s team claim the title.
“Training is full throttle,” Derya said after another morning workout. “We’re running twice a day and tightening everything up before Portugal. Elif and I push each other every session. She broke her own age-group record recently, and she nearly took mine – just a few hundredths short. I believe she’ll get it soon. Now we’re focused on standing on the podium together in Europe.”
Elif, who has trained for five years and now holds the 24-year-old national U20 record in the 2,000-meter steeplechase, said the partnership has sharpened her edge.
“I train morning and evening, and we have big races ahead,” she said. “I narrowly missed breaking Derya’s record too, but I’ll keep chasing it. In Portugal, we want to bring home a medal for our province and our country. I’m grateful to my family, to Coach Naim Koçlardan, and to Derya abla – she supports me every step.”
Coach Naim Koçlardan, who has spent 13 years developing elite athletes in Muş, says both runners embody the blend of grit and ambition that drives the sport forward.
“They trusted themselves, and we trusted them,” he said. “Elif broke a 24-year-old national record this year. Derya still owns two national records. Records are meant to be broken – and they push each other to do it. Having two record-breaking athletes in the same group is a privilege. Our target now is clear: represent Türkiye in Portugal in the best way possible and, God willing, see their journey lead to the Olympics.”
Muş Youth and Sports Provincial Director Yusuf Kılıç says the city’s growing athletics culture is no accident.
“Every year we see more national athletes come through,” he said. “Derya and Elif are leading the way with their Türkiye records and their discipline. Now, both are preparing to take that success to Europe.”
