Tens of thousands of runners take to streets in Jerusalem Marathon
Some 25,000 participants take part in fourth annual marathon in the capital.
By DANIEL K. EISENBUD, JPOST.COM STAFF
The fourth annual Jerusalem Winner Marathon was underway Friday morning with some 25,000 runners taking part in the race.Medics treated 37 injured participants, including one in serious condition due to heat stroke. The man in his 20s was evacuated to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem.Various roads throughout the capital were closed in light of the race.While all routes to area hospitals and entrances to the city remained open, below is a comprehensive list of traffic changes to accommodate the participants in this year’s marathon, which will traverse much of the downtown area.The following streets will be closed to traffic from 5:45 a.m.: Ruppin Blvd.; Netanel Lorch St.; Yitzhak Rabin Blvd.; Haim Hazaz Blvd.; Tchernichovsky St.; Hapalmah St.; Hanasi St.; Keren Hayesod St.; King George St.; Jaffa Rd.; Tzahal Square; Hatzanhanim St.; Haim Bar Lev Blvd.; George Adam Smith St.; Halehi St.; Martin Buber St.; Benjamin Mazar St.; Churchill Blvd.; Yitzhak Karib St.; Hativat Jerusalem Blvd.; King David St.; Jabotinsky St.; Chopin St.; Dubnov St.; Gretz St.; Emek Refaim St.; Harakevet Rd.; Beit Lechem Rd.; David Remez St.; Hebron Rd.; Yanovsky St.; Yehuda St.; Pierre Koenig St.; Elazar Hamodai St.; Kovshei Katamon St.; and Yehoshua Yavin St.Ben Zvi Blvd. was closed from 11 p.m. Thursday and was set to reopen at the event. Additionally, the Hebrew University Campus, Jaffa Gate, the Armenian Patriarchate and Zion Gate will be closed until the race concludes. Please note that traffic disruptions were also expected on the streets overlapping the routes of the race.The following locations will remain open: the entire area surrounding the central bus station; access to the Mahaneh Yehuda market; the entrances to industrial areas, including Har Hotzvim, Atarot, Giv’at Shaul Talpiot; access to eastern Jerusalem and the Western Wall through the Eshkol Tunnel; Kanfei Nesharim St.; Beit Hadfus St.; and the entire length of Begin Rd.In terms of parking, vehicles parked along the running tracks will not be permitted to leave until the event concludes and traffic arteries are reopened. Parking on both sides of Yehuda Street will not be permitted from 8 p.m. Thursday until the end of the marathon.With respect to public transportation, bus routes that will remain operational during the marathon include: 66, 66A, 45 and 25, which will connect the Giv’at Hatahmoshet Station with the Central Bus Station, via the city center and the Mahane Yehuda market.
The light rail will operate on two routes: from Heil Haavir St. to Giv’at Hatachmoshet, and from the Central Bus Station to Mount Herzl.Information on changes in bus routes is available from Egged Information at 2800*.Shuttles departing from the Mount Herzl lot and from the eastern gallery lot at Teddy Stadium to the Israel Museum lot will run free of charge between 7 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.For more information, please call the Municipal Call Center at 106.