Despite war, 50,000 run in Jerusalem Marathon

More than 50,000 participants registered for the 15th International Jerusalem “Winner” Marathon, held Friday under the theme “Am Yisrael Runs,” in an event marked by a more subdued atmosphere than usual amid the ongoing war.

The event took place as a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel brokered by the United States began. The 26.2-mile race was canceled, while other runs were moved to earlier in the morning, due to an expected heatwave and dusty conditions.

Alame Haimro, 36, from Karnei Shomron, won the men’s half-marathon with a time of 1:07:31.

Bika Mintamer, 34, from Ramat Hasharon, finished first in the women’s race with a time of 01:24:29.

Runners from around the world—including the United States, China, Argentina, the Philippines, South Africa and the Netherlands—joined Israeli participants at the starting line near the Knesset.

Josh Lampel from Los Angeles traveled to Israel specifically to run his first full marathon in Jerusalem. After arriving earlier in the week, he completed the half-marathon course twice—once in reverse—to achieve the full distance after the official marathon race was canceled.

Originally scheduled for March 27, the event was postponed due to the war and later adjusted again, with start times moved earlier in the day. This year’s race included five categories: a half-marathon, 10-kilometer race, 5-kilometer race, 1.7-kilometer family race and an 800-meter community race.

International participation was affected by the security situation. Shalva—The Israel Association for Care and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities, one of approximately 30 partner organizations, typically brings between 400 and 600 runners from abroad. This year, those participants were unable to attend, though Shalva representatives were present at Sacher Park with team members participating in other race categories.

ADI Disability Rehabilitation and Care Center residents did not participate in the community race this year, but the ADI Fleet inclusive running team returned in significant numbers.

Many runners said wartime conditions disrupted months of training, requiring physical and emotional adjustments.

“This hasn’t been just ‘three extra weeks to train,’” said Ilana Guttman, an experienced runner and coach who participated in the 10K with the Capital Runners club. “It significantly disrupts the entire training cycle.

“Aside from perhaps the coronavirus pandemic, this has been an unprecedentedly challenging time to train,” she told JNS. “But our national spirit is to push forward under difficult circumstances, and that’s what every runner at the starting line is doing.”

Yaakov Zimmerman, a former lone soldier from New Jersey who has spent more than 800 days in reserve duty with a commando unit, ran his fourth marathon with the Michael Levin Base.

“The postponement disrupted both my routine and my motivation,” he said. “But I’ve learned through my army service that resilience is built in the hardest moments. Everything is in the mind.”

Franco S., a recently discharged lone soldier from Argentina in the process of making aliyah, said the race represented both a personal milestone and connection to the support network that assisted him during his service.

“I still had hope it would happen, and here we are,” he said, noting the significance of running with the Lone Soldier Center in Memory of Michael Levin.

Yaffi Shmidman, a longtime participant, said frequent air-raid sirens and the need to remain close to bomb shelters made consistent training difficult. She ran with two of her children for Yachad, while her husband ran for Darkaynu.

“Running is how I decompress,” she said. “Not having that outlet, on top of everything else, definitely raised my stress levels.”

Sahar Schatzberg, an eighth-grade student from Kibbutz Hamadia, participated in her first Jerusalem Marathon event with the OneFamily organization, alongside about 200 teenagers who have lost relatives to terrorist attacks or war. Her brother Almog Shalom was killed in Gaza in June 2024 when a booby-trapped building collapsed on his unit.

“The war has made me really stressed and anxious,” she said. “But despite everything, it was important for me to show up and run. In times like these, we need to remind ourselves of the strength we have.”

Former hostage joins Jerusalem mayor

Among the runners was former Gaza hostage Rom Braslavski, who started the 10-kilometer race alongside Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion.

Lion said the event symbolized perseverance during a challenging period.

“This year, the International Jerusalem ‘Winner’ Marathon is about more than just a race,” Lion said. “Standing at the starting line sends a clear message: Jerusalem keeps moving forward.

“I am moved to see thousands of runners—locals, Israelis and participants from around the world—standing together, reflecting strength and resilience, especially now,” he added.

“To the world, we say: Jerusalem keeps running forward, stronger and more determined than ever. I invite everyone to return next year and join us again.”