Jerusalem Marathon 2027

Three thousand years of history stacked across eight hills, and a starting line set right in front of Parliament: hard to find a race backdrop that feels more alive 🏛. Every year in March the Jerusalem Marathon takes place, in Jerusalem of course, officially named the Jerusalem Winner Marathon ✍️. Organized by the municipality and certified by AIMS, the event has climbed in about fifteen years into one of the most popular fixtures around the Mediterranean, driven by a rare mix of religious fervor and sporting rigor 🏃‍♀️.

The race's revival dates back to 2011, after an initial attempt that went nowhere between 1992 and 1994 📚. From its return, the event made a strong impression with 10,000 runners from 40 countries, even if the inaugural edition left a comical memory: the top three men in the standings take a wrong turn and head for the wrong finish 😅. The following year, rain, wind, and hail showed up without warning, without discouraging the organizers 💪. Attendance then rose year after year, surpassing 25,000 participants as early as 2014 🗓️. In 2025, the race peaked at nearly 40,000 runners across all formats, confirming its place among the major marathons of the Middle East 📍.

Six formats share this setting: the marathon covers the entire course to Sacher Park; the half cuts through downtown and the Old City before running along the Armon Hanatsiv promenade, and there are also the 10 km and the 5 km, which stay on more runnable routes 🛣️. Here, everyone is invited, and these two races prove it: the family run with 1.7 km to cover and the community run of 800 m 💞. The latter brings together up to 5,000 participants free of charge! As for the scenery, runners first pass the honey-colored stones of the Givat Ram campus, home to the National Library and its five million books 📖, before the horizon opens onto the Judean Hills from the heights of Mount Scopus 🏞. Then comes the most eagerly awaited turning point: the golden ramparts of the Old City revealed in the distance, with the domes and bell towers of the Armenian, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim quarters as a backdrop 🌐. Finally, the eye is drawn to the forest of Jerusalem, a carpet of green pines that contrasts with the aridity of the nearby desert 🏜️.

Perched at 800 m above sea level, Jerusalem imposes a rolling profile that forgives nothing: the organizers therefore set the date in March to take advantage of a mild, dry climate, far from the summer heat 🌤. They also set up an expo village at Cinema City in the days beforehand, while on race day, Sacher Park turns into an open-air stage with group warm-ups, drumming and Zumba before the start 💃. The result is an atmosphere that's both demanding and good-natured, where the marathon finisher meets the eyes of families who came to run the 800 m community race 👯. Here, the record chapter belongs to specialists from East Africa ➡️. Kenyan Ronald Kimeli Kurgat has held the best men's mark since 2014, while his compatriot Joan Jepchirchir Kigen has held the women's since 2016 🏅. Enough to firmly secure the event's place on the calendar of races certified by AIMS, alongside the biggest marathons worldwide 🌎.

Once the medal is around your neck, head to the Mahane Yehuda market for a creamy hummus and a few honey pastries🍯, before strolling through the alleys of the Old City as a simple visitor this time 🚶‍♀️. The Mount of Olives, with its sweeping view over the Temple Mount, is well worth an extra pause, as is the City of David and its archaeological digs that go back to the city's origins 🏺. The bravest can even push on to the Dead Sea, less than an hour's drive away, for a floating bath that finishes off the calf relief 🧘‍♀️.

Enough to close the loop on a soothing note: in Jerusalem, you never run only a marathon; you pass through a city that took three millennia to get ready to welcome it 😊.