Thousands of international runners are expected to participate next week in the Tel Aviv Samsung Marathon 2018, slated for February 23.
A record number of 2,500 runners from around the world have registered to participate in what has been billed as Israel’s biggest sporting event of the year, with some 150,000 spectators to cheer them on.
Runners are expected from Germany, Poland, Russia, the U.S., UK, Italy, and France, among others.
The current marathon record time was set in 2016 by William Kiprono Yagon from Kenya, at a time of 2:10:30 – but if a runner manages to come in under 2:07:59 next week, that runner will receive $40,000.
A spokesperson for the event says the marathon will take runners on a 42-kilometer route through the city.
The runners will start at the Tel Aviv Convention Center and then make their way through the city, passing through Sarona Market, Rabin Square and Old Jaffa (Yafo), one of the most ancient port cities in the world, as well as running along the white sandy beach of the Mediterranean Sea.
