Team Shalva represented Israel at the 2025 New York City Marathon on Sunday. The event, which featured more than 55,000 runners, included 155 Shalva participants who joined the athletes in the 26.2-mile course through the streets of New York City’s five boroughs.
Among the runners, the team included individuals with disabilities, IDF wounded veterans, bereaved families, survivors of the October 7 attack, reservists, their spouses, and evacuees from both southern and northern Israel.
The running team, an official delegation of Shalva, the Israel Association for the Care and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities, took part in the NYC Marathon for the fourth consecutive year.
A Unified Front of Resilience
"Team Shalva embodies the very best of Israel," stated Itamar Shevach, Deputy CEO of Shalva and a runner on the team. I want to thank our partners and runners for their commitment to Shalva’s children and families. Together, we are running towards a better world for all," he concluded.
Shalva runners first made history in 2022 by becoming the first official Israeli nonprofit team to participate in the New York City Marathon, initially sending 65 runners. The numbers grew in the following years, reaching 2025 as a “thank you” demonstration, as Israel has recently recovered a relevant part of the hostages in Gaza.