It was an amazing event. It was the first time I have ever witnessed 10,000 men ,women and children running along the main thorough fares of Tel Aviv sans transportation.
The first thing that struck me was the silence as the runners passed by in a massive blur of yellow shirts. You could hear the sounds of the running shoes hitting against the asphalt streets, much like the hooves of horses hitting the pavement from the occasional cart carrying used goods through the sides streets of the city as the driver cries out for more, only to be interrupted by occasional clapping and cheering along the route.
It was a perfect day to run at 6:45 AM cool with a slight breeze. There was a marathon for every level of ability that included a 6, 12 and the 42 k-run. At one point into the event water was offered to the runners by the bottle, cup, and any other way in which the participants could gulp down some liquid so that they wouldn’t dehydrate, as a few did along the way and needed to be evacuated. But as the runners finished drinking they tossed the remains onto the sidewalks and or the street creating a cacophony of sound that reminded me of the pitch from metal tin drums.
We eventually made our way to the finish line by the sea as the cheering crowds urged on the winner Daniel Coles of Kenya. This was his first marathon and first trip abroad. His time was 2:38:07 hours. 2nd place was Shay Pipman from Israel at 2:51:10 and third place was David Raskai at 2:52:45. The first woman to cross the finish line was Orna Blau from Israel at 3:07:14.
It was a wonderful event for a wonderful day. I couldn’t help noticing the big smiles on every ones face that lined the route. A sense of unity and cooperation that reminded me why I live in this special city by the sea.
