35,000 from 72 Countries Join Jerusalem's Largest-ever Marathon

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat at Jerusalem marathon with winner Shadrack Kipkogey (R) and Ethiopian champion runner Haile Gebrselassie, March 9, 2017. (Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90) (Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90)

Kenyan runner Kipkogey Shadrack, 27, was the winner of the 2018 International Jerusalem Marathon, the largest ever since the launch of the event in 2011.

By: United with Israel Staff

More than 35,000 runners hailing from 72 countries ran through the streets of the Israeli capital Friday morning in what was the biggest turnout since the launch of the annual International Jerusalem Marathon in March 2011.

The winner was 27-year-old Kipkogey Shadrack of Kenya.

The number of tourists staying overnight in Jerusalem was roughly 10,000, marking an increase from last year in the number of participants from abroad. Approximately 4,000 people came from outside the country, although the majority of runners were from Jerusalem.

“The Jerusalem Winner Marathon is a national sports event, which attracts not only families and sportspersons from Israel, but also serves as a focal point for foreign tourism,” said Mayor Nir Barkat, who runs in the event himself. He described the Marathon as “an unparalleled sport event and international festival,” where people come from all over the world to “experience Jerusalem as a top tourist destination.”

This year, Barkat noted ahead of the event, the Marathon was expected to provide a record revenue of 15 million NIS for the city’s businesses, hotels and culture and entertainment institution – in addition to over NIS 60 million, which the marathon has earned the city over the past seven years.

The guest of honor, who also ran the 10-km course, was Olympic medalist and long-distance-running world champion Haile Gebrselassie from Ethiopia

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