Running the Jerusalem Marathon is a guarantee of a unique course passing close to the historical sites of the capital of Israel. 40,000 people took the start of one of the five distances on the program on March 17. We Rock Sport was there for the 10 km.
While the Jerusalem Marathon is still young, the 42.195 km race has grown since its first edition in 2011. Twelve years ago, 10,000 runners took part in the five distances offered by the organizers. On March 17, 2023, 40,000 participants will line up for the marathon, the half marathon, the 10 km, the 5 km and the Family Race (1.7 km). The day before, many runners were already seen running quietly in the old city, while bar mitzvahs were celebrated by families at the foot of the walls of the old city of Jerusalem. White is the order of the day for this party which celebrates the passage to religious majority status of young Jewish boys aged 13. On the ground, dishes are piled up while music and songs give a festive atmosphere on this marathon eve.
If it rained during our jogging on the first day of our arrival on the spot, the sun takes its rights during the week. The marathon should be held in ideal conditions with a temperature of 15°C, perfect for running. I will run the 10 km on my side, but the route of this short race will take us through several holy places of the city. Same principle for the half and the marathon where runners will only have to look up to admire all that makes the richness of Jerusalem.
Situated in the Judean mountains, Israel's capital offers a much greater gradient than most marathons in the world's other major capitals. Each year, the 42.195km route accumulates between 600 and 700 D+. In other words, you won't beat your record for the distance here, but at least the race is far from boring, and you'll need to know how to relaunch (or manage) on the many climbs that punctuate the course.
On D-day, I arrive early to soak up the atmosphere. Although the 10 km race starts at 9.30 a.m., the best marathon runners have already arrived. Kenyan winners Kiprotich Noah Kigen in 2:18 for the men and Njuguna Margaret in 2:52 for the women. There was a huge crowd in the start area, and most of the participants donned their red jerseys donated by the organizers. While starts are often tense at similar races in France, the mood here is clearly more festive. There's no need for most participants to set a time, the main thing is to have a good time with friends and make it to the finish line.
I manage to squeeze my way through the first few lines, so as not to lose too much time at the start in the crowd. A DJ sets the mood, and the warmed-up participants immediately respond by dancing and singing along to the latest hits. Like the city itself, the runners are Jewish, Muslim or Christian, and the majority are locals (10% of registrants are non-Israelis). Safety-wise, there's nothing to distinguish this event from that of any other capital. The atmosphere is festive and the faces are relaxed, as one might be at the start of the Paris Marathon. In fact, I was only quickly checked at the entrance to the site, and only encountered a few police and military officers throughout the morning.
The start is given and I immediately get into a rhythm. I quickly find other runners who have the same pace as me. I quickly overtake the pacemaker with the 50' flag and find myself behind the 45' flag. I follow in his footsteps. I know that I can run faster than 45' in the 10 km, but I've taken a good look at the course and the difference in altitude means that the race will be quite demanding. So I play it safe and anticipate a time of around 45 minutes. After a few hundred meters in the Saker Park, the largest park in the city, the first slopes take us to the Jaffa Gate, an ancient passage in the fortifications of the old city of Jerusalem. We can see the Tower of David. This ancient citadel located northwest of the Armenian Quarter was built in the 2nd century BC and was rebuilt several times by the Romans, Byzantines, Arabs and Ottomans.
Although the 10 km run takes you through the old town in a short time (other runs will also only stay in this area for around two kilometers), it gives you a good feel for what remains the heart of one of the oldest cities in the world, divided into four quarters: Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Armenian. Later on, you'll have the chance to wander around a bit longer to see the sites of the three Abrahamic religions. These include, of course, the Esplanade of the Mosques (located on the Temple Mount and featuring the famous Dome of the Rock and its golden roof, as well as the Al-Aqsa Mosque), the Wailing Wall (the first holy site according to the Jewish religion and representing part of the retaining wall of the esplanade of Jerusalem's ancient Temple) and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (the holiest Christian site in the Old City, where the crucifixion and burial of Jesus are commemorated).
As the run continues at a good pace, we pass the city walls again through the Sion gate, still located in the Armenian quarter of the old town. On the left, you can see the seven golden, onion-shaped domes of the superb Orthodox Church of St. Mary Magdalene, as well as the Mount of Olives. As well as being an important site for all three monotheistic religions (including the Ascension for Christians), this hill in eastern Jerusalem is also home to the world's largest Jewish cemetery. To get there on foot, the steep path is demanding, but the view from the top of the Mount of Olives is well worth the detour. The panorama over the old town is sublime (see below).
Finally, the last kilometers of the race bring us back to the west passing not far from the Monastery of the Cross, the huge Israel Museum with 500,000 works and the Knesset (the Israeli parliament). The crowd of runners has long since stretched out on the slopes leading to the old city. Some around me even end up walking. I managed to run to the finish line, finishing this 10 km in 45'47'' at the 88th place out of 5 042 runners. The route is demanding but the exceptional setting of the capital of Israel clearly makes it a unique race in the world.
