Running the Jerusalem Marathon
By Jeff Denaburg
The Jerusalem Marathon is a great event and it’s a lot of fun to participate as part of the OneFamily Team.
The Jerusalem Marathon 10K course runs through the heart of the city, starting at the Knesset and running up Jaffa Road before making a grand ascending entrance to the Old City. From there it takes a series of up and down hills, eventually ascending Jabotinsky Street towards the final descent to the finish line in Sacher Park. It’s a challenging route but the views are breathtaking. The thrill of running through Jerusalem in a group of thousands of people has to be experienced.
But as exciting as the event is on its own, it’s twice as much fun to do it as part of the OneFamily team.
OneFamily organizes a great experience. First, they make it easy by helping with enrollment and picking up the race kits. Second, they hold a pre-race dinner to meet the team and get everyone psyched up for the race. But most important is the spirit of the mainly youthful team.
The team assembles together on the morning of the run for warm-up and photos. Then came a half hour of singing and dancing on the hill leading up to the start line near the Knesset and Israel Museum. I was amazed at the energy of the group, who weren’t at all concerned that they hadn’t even started the race yet. In the Jerusalem Marathon, having a great time takes priority over the competition, and more so for the OneFamily team. I was proud to be part of the mass of red OneFamily shirts making their way enthusiastically toward the start line. It was an inspiration.
And, although the course is difficult, it’s great to see the OneFamily runners along the way. There’s a lot of mutual support, both among the runners and from the OneFamily cheerleaders along the route.
The Jerusalem Marathon is a great event and being part of the OneFamily team is the best way to experience it.
