By Viva Sarah Press, NoCamels -
The Tel Aviv Samsung Marathon 2021 is staying global this year despite COVID-19 pandemic limitations. Organizers of the annual sporting event have put out a call to all runners no matter where they live – amateur and professional alike – to take part in a remote virtual marathon on February 19.
The marathon motto this year is, “All Running Together Separately.”
“We would like to return things to as normal and sane as possible, as quick as we can,” Leor Shapira, Chairman of Tel Aviv-Yafo City Council and Head of Sports, tells NoCamels. “We’re doing everything possible, in accordance with government health regulations, to find ways to keep Tel Aviv the nonstop city.”
Indeed, Tel Aviv boasts a world-renowned moniker as a bustling business hub, beach destination, nightlife epicenter, outdoor sports mecca and foodie paradise.
Its core annual international marathon event has been growing steadily since its revival in 2009. The marathon is also recognized as one of the world’s top winter races due to the city’s warm year-long climate.
“The Tel Aviv Marathon is the jewel in the crown of the Israeli sports calendar and we are always proud to host thousands of runners from across the world,” says Shapira.
The 2020 Tel Aviv Marathon drew 40,000 runners, a feat considering world events in February last year. In fact, Shapira says it was the last big sporting event to take place in Israel just days before the coronavirus outbreak shut borders across the world.
Organizers of the event decided to host a virtual marathon this year.
“This year, it’s a digital run and no matter where you live, you can run. I think if we have people running in the United States and in the UK, in Russia, in India, wherever, I think it puts us more together,” Shapira tells NoCamels.
The local route usually winds through the Sarona neighborhood, past Rabin Square, through Old Jaffa and alongside the white sandy beaches of the Mediterranean Sea.
“We will run together this year in a unique format, creating a broad human mosaic of participants running together across the globe. Until we meet again soon in sunny Tel Aviv-Yafo, we look forward to bringing the atmosphere of Tel Aviv-Yafo to participants’ doorstep,” says Shapira.
The event is an initiative of Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality and produced by Kapaim. A dedicated app will launch live for the marathon week and will broadcast a start line ceremony, offer interactive monitoring of marathon routes and race times, provide encouraging messages and music playlists, and enable viewing and sharing of photos captured along race routes.
Participants will also get a personalized certificate via the app upon finishing the race.
The virtual event allows participants to connect to the app during race week and run a localized route of their choice. Running routes can start and finish near the participants’ home, in a park, near place of work or any favored location.
Moreover, those who want the Tel Aviv bling can order a full race kit and organizers will send an official marathon running shirt, a personal runner number, a medal, a “finisher” sticker and drawstring bag to any address for an additional fee of NIS 135.
Registration for the marathon is NIS 120.
As incentive to take part, organizers are offering chances to win flights to Tel Aviv and free entry for next year’s marathon – which, they hope will be in-person – as part of the ‘Feet Abroad, Heart in Tel Aviv’ contest. All international participants who order the official marathon kit, wear their marathon shirt and send a video or picture as they run on race day through their hometown, will have the chance to win.
Not everyone who wants to participate has to run a full marathon. Distances of the routes include a marathon (42.195 km), a half-marathon (21.1 km), 10 km, and 5 km. Participants can run their chosen distance from February 19 at 6 a.m. (IST) to February 25 at 9 p.m. (IST).
The Tel Aviv Marathon is not the only global running event to go virtual. London Marathon organizers announced on January 21 that they hope to attract a record-breaking 100,000 participants – 50,000 participants for the in-person race, 50,000 for a virtual race – set for October 3.
“The Tel Aviv Samsung Marathon will break borders and boundaries this year, taking place for the first time in a digital format and with tens of thousands of runners participating across the world. Samsung is proud to lead the largest sports event in Israel again this year, and to encourage runners to reach the limit of their abilities. I wish all the runners luck and primarily good health,” Ronen Salem, VP Marketing, Samsung Israel, said in a statement.
And while Shapira says he doesn’t know how many international runners will answer Tel Aviv’s call to join its virtual marathon, he says there will probably be more local runners than last year. Shapira says the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the number of local residents participating in outdoor sports activities.
“The weather here, in Tel Aviv, is excellent and we have great places to run. So, people are doing much, much more sports — running, walking, jogging, all kinds of sports allowed during this pandemic. Tel Aviv-wise, we are hoping that we will have a very large turnout,” says Shapira. “We don’t know how many worldwide but we’re expecting that people who have been here in the past and enjoyed our beautiful city, will take part. And people who have not been here yet, can learn about it. It’s a unique idea that hasn’t been done here yet.”
Viva Sarah Press is a journalist and speaker. She writes and talks about the creativity and innovation taking place in Israel and beyond. www.vivaspress.com
Caption: A runner cheers at Tel Aviv’s 2020 marathon last year.
Photo: Kapaim Active
