Zachary Taylor and his wife taking part in the Jerusalem Half Marathon.

Photo: Courtesy of 4sport.co.il

When I first met my wife three years ago she was training for a half marathon in Toronto. At the time, we were both completing our graduate studies and living in London, Canada. Although she encouraged me to run and train with her, I had fears that my body and my knees would not be able to handle it. As a teenager I had experienced some minor sports-related knee injuries which helped to feed this fear. Reluctantly, I told her that I would not be able to run with her.

In the fall of 2011 we moved to Tel Aviv where I took up a position as a post-doctoral fellow at Tel Aviv University. One of the most striking differences that we have noticed between living in Canada and in Israel is the real taste of fruits and vegetables. In addition to being so fresh in Israel, produce is also much cheaper than it is back in Canada. Needless to say we have enjoyed embracing a diet made up of more fresh fruits and vegetables. On top of the change in our diets, Tel Aviv is a great walking city and we move around a great deal within the city this way. With these two changes in my lifestyle, I began to notice that I was losing weight, and I started to think that I could finally start running with my wife.

It is difficult to imagine a city which better fosters running than Tel Aviv. Even so, we decided that to keep ourselves accountable we should sign up for a race. After having read about the Jerusalem Marathon in Canadian newspapers we knew that this was the race we wanted to run and that we wanted to attempt the half marathon. We signed up for the race and began our six month training program.

As the training distances increased, we began to use more and more of the seaside boardwalk (Hatayelet) stretching from Ramat Aviv, where we live, all the way down to Jaffa. Not only does the boardwalk offer the amazing views and relaxing sounds of the Mediterranean, there is also no need to worry about crosswalks or traffic – except for the many other joggers, walkers and cyclists along the way! If we timed it right, we could experience the beautiful sunsets along the coast which seemed to get increasingly more beautiful as the race approached on March 1.

The first Jerusalem Marathon was run in 2011 making this year’s race only the third one, but it is growing fast. According to the race officials, this year the number of total participants exceeded 20,000.

The half marathon began at 08:30 on the closed Ruppin Blvd. between the Knesset and the Israel Museum. The weather on the day was perfect for running even if it was a bit chilly as we waited in the starting gates. The cold temperature before the race was in contrast to the warm atmosphere created by the live music, costumed entertainers and the many participants eager to get underway.

The starting gun fired right on time and I was off and running in my first ever half marathon. After nearly six months of training and preparation it was finally here, and even though my wife cautioned me against starting off too fast it was hard to suppress the rush of adrenaline from crossing the start line.

The relatively flat starting section belied the race that was to come. Although only three years old, the Jerusalem Marathon already has a reputation as one of the more challenging races due to its many hills. True to its reputation, it seemed as though most of the race was either spent running up or running down a hill. Experienced runners stress the need to prepare not only physically but mentally for hilly races, and we found out why in Jerusalem. Exhausting uphill climbs are inevitably followed by knee-pounding downhill sections, and with each passing hill the next one seems harder to climb.

Even with the challenge of making it up the next hill it was impossible to overlook the beauty and the history of all that we passed around us. After starting near the Knesset, we ran towards Jaffa Road where we followed the tracks of the light rail. We then found ourselves on the cobblestone path entering Jaffa Gate before running through the Armenian Quarter of the Old City. Eventually we ran through a portion of East Jerusalem before returning towards the finish line near Sacher Garden.

Along the way, there were times when we felt like we just could not push anymore. At these points, there were crowds and DJs pumping out fast-paced music and shouting words of encouragement (in Hebrew and in English) to cheer us up and keep us going. Nowhere did we need that extra bit of help more than when we were finally in sight of the finish line. The crowds and race volunteers along this stretch definitely helped all of the participants across the finish line.

As we crossed the finish line we felt a sense both of pride and relief as we made our way towards the after-race party in Sacher Garden. There was a great atmosphere in the park with a live Zumba displays and lots of energy-replenishing food for us. In a sense, I was reminded of how this whole journey began as I devoured the most iconic of all Israeli produce – a delicious orange – while absorbing the sunshine of a beautiful winter day. These events are so addictive that I am sure I will do another one, but I am also sure that none will be more memorable than my first one in Jerusalem. 

The pair crossing the finishing line

Photo: Courtesy of 4sport.co.il