Doga KARATAS

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Born in 1992 in İzmir, Doğa Karataş was introduced to sports at the age of six through basketball. Throughout a successful athletic career, Doğa played for teams such as Pınar Karşıyaka, Karşıyaka Belediyespor, Dokuz Eylül University, and Ekol Sağlık Grubu. However, in 2017, a tragic injury profoundly impacted both his life and athletic career. A misguided injection caused a 15% permanent nerve damage in his left foot, leaving him unable to walk for nearly a year. Despite this challenging period, Doğa never gave up. In 2021, he made a comeback by returning to the Corporate Basketball League, and shifted his passion towards running. In September 2022, he participated in his first race, completing the 21-kilometer course at the Dokuz Eylül Half Marathon. This race marked a new beginning for him. In his first year of running, Doğa competed in 22 official races, covering a total distance of 1,019 kilometers. He completed his first marathon at the İzmir Marathon, finishing the 42-kilometer course with a Sub4 time. Additionally, he finished the 120-kilometer course at the Efes UltraMarathon in 14 hours and 40 minutes, and completed 67 kilometers at the Turkey Backyard Ultra race. At the Wings for Life race, he placed 4th in İzmir, covering 29.3 kilometers. Doğa Karataş is also a graduate of the Photography Department at Dokuz Eylül University’s Faculty of Fine Arts, combining his love for art and sports. In his running career, he focuses not only on personal achievements but also on giving back to the community. He raises funds during each race to support children's education, having run for organizations such as UNICEF, TEGV, TSÇV, TOHUM, TEV, and EÇEV. Art, sports, and education are the cornerstones of his life, and he enjoys creating a collage of these passions through his running journey. Currently, Doğa works as the Advertising and Marketing Manager at SCA Social while also providing advertising consultancy to companies in the healthcare sector. Never one to give up, Doğa Karataş continues to run and pursue new achievements in his sports career.