If you’ve ever been lost in the streets of Jerusalem, you may not be surprised to learn that the race leaders of the first Jerusalem marathon took a wrong turn and finished the race at the “wrong finish line.” From the Jerusalem Post:
The first runner to arrive at the actual finish line was Kenyan Robert Cheruiyot with a time of 2:27:48, but later on Raymond Kipkoechh, 34, of Kenya was announced as the official winner with a time of 2:26:44 after apparently going off the course and arriving at the finish line of the half-marathon in a different location. […] 1,500 people began the 26.2 mile (42 kilometer) race at 7am, followed by over 8,000 half-marathoners and 10k-competitors an hour later. Two jazz bands played while runners were completing their final preparations at the start.
Maps of the courses are available online (full marathon, half marathon, and 10k). The official website gives more details and starts the countdown to next year’s marathon on March 16.
One thought on “The First Jerusalem Marathon”
Five of my people ran in various parts of that marathon last week! They thoroughly enjoyed themselves!