Marathon in Jerusalem is truly for everyone

On Friday, the streets will be filled with thousands of pounding feet competing in the Jerusalem Marathon. With six tracks available, this is a race for everyone.

At 7 am, the runners for the 42.2km full marathon will set out from the Knesset following a course that will traverse the city from Mt. Scopus to the old train station and back to cross the finish line at Sachar Park. Last year’s winner, Tadesse Yaee Dahbi from Ethiopia, completed the course in 2 hours, 18 minutes and 20 seconds. 

With the compact nature of Jerusalem, even the shorter tracks allow runners to pass icon areas and constantly changing scenery. The half marathon track passes the ancient Old City on its way to the modern East Talpiot before returning to the finish line at Park Sachar.  For runners who want to compete but are not yet ready to face the full or half marathons, there are 10km and 5km options. The 5km run has two groups, competitive and community, giving runners the chance to race with only themselves as competition. 

“The Jerusalem Marathon is not just for champion runners. It’s not just for amateurs,” said Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat. “It’s also for children with disabilities and the organizations that unite them and us.” The 1.7km family run starts at 10:30 am and gives young and old a chance to take part.

Children with disabilities might not seem like the obvious group to be taking part in a marathon, but the Jerusalem Marathon is designed to give every ability level a chance to join in. Founded by Jerusalem charity SHALVA, the 800 meter Community race gives everyone the chance to take part. With wheelchairs and walkers, the children of SHALVA join runners from around the city and the world to prove that they too can be champions. 

SHALVA offers high-quality care for children with disabilities, empowering them and supporting their families. As well as helping to organize the Community Race, SHALVA also fields a sponsored team that runs to raise money for the charity. Much of the money raised by Team SHALVA 2016 will go towards the new SHALVA building due to open in September.