Around 4,000 runners from across the world took part in the day’s many races, with more than 35,000 people in all participating in the different events.
By ALLON SINAIJerusalem Marathon winner Shadrack Kipkogey (right) next to Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat (center) and legendary Ethiopian runner Haile Gebrselassie (left) (photo credit: Courtesy)
Kenyan Shadrack Kipkogey won the full Jerusalem Marathon for a third straight year on Friday morning, being welcomed at the finish line by guest of honor, legendary Ethiopian runner Haile Gebrselassie, and mayor Nir Barkat after setting a time of 2:21.26 hours.Emily Chepkemoi Samoei of Kenya won the women’s event in 2:52.33 hours.Around 4,000 runners from across the world took part in the day’s many races, with more than 35,000 people in all participating in the different events.The route of the full marathon began in the western part of the city, between the Knesset and Israel Museum, looping around the Givat Ram campus of Hebrew University and through several neighborhoods on the way up to Hebrew University’s Mount Scopus campus.The route then descended to the Old City, taking runners through Jaffa Gate and the Armenian Quarter and out through Zion Gate, before ending in Sacher Park.Gebrselassie, who ran in one of the day’s three 10km races together with Barkat, is regarded as one of the greatest long-distance runners in history. Gebrselassie, who retired in May 2015, is a twotime Olympic champion in the 10,000-meters, taking the gold medal in Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000, while also winning the world title in that distance on four different occasions.Many organized groups connected with different social initiatives took part in the day’s races, including a group assembled by OneFamily, which supports terror victims and their families and bereaved family members of fallen soldiers.Some 300 runners, encompassing Jews, Arabs, Druze and Circassians were part of the group. Among the runners were parents and siblings of IDF soldiers and security forces who fell in the line of duty or during combat operations in the Gaza Strip and northern border.“Today we have an opportunity to show that we identify with and feel the pain of our fellow Israelis who lost their sons for the sake of this country,” relayed a spokesperson for OneFamily.
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