Jerusalem Marathon

The Jerusalem Marathon (Hebrew: מרתון ירושלים) is an annual marathon running event held in Jerusalem during the month of March or April. The course begins at Israel's parliament (the Knesset) and the Israel Museum, passes through Mount Scopus and the Old City, and finishes at Sacher Park. The course record in the men's category was set in 2014 by Kenyan runner Ronald Kimeli Kurgat, and the course record in the women's category was set in 2016 by Kenyan runner Joan Jepchirchir Kigen.

Races at shorter distances (a 21.1km half-marathon, 10km and 5km races, a family race of 1.7km and a community race of 800m) are held in conjunction with the marathon.

The 2025 marathon, held on April 4, was won by Semenovych Bogdan from Ukraine at 02:22:47 and for women by Salgong Pauline Jepkirui from Kenya at 02:51:58 with about 40,000 participants.

Prior to the formation of the current event in 2011, a Jerusalem Marathon was staged for three years running between 1992 and 1994. Half-marathon races were held in the city after that and a subsequent push from Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat resulted in the re-establishment of an international standard marathon in the city.

The marathon was reestablished in March 2011 and drew 10,000 participants from 40 countries. That year, the three leading runners in the men's race veered off course and arrived at the wrong finish line.

The 2012 event, which drew 15,000 runners including 1,500 from 50 countries outside Israel, was marked by rain, strong winds, and pounding hail.

In 2013, twenty thousand runners from 54 countries participated in the third Jerusalem Marathon. The Palestine Liberation Organization called for participants and sponsors to boycott the race in 2013.

In 2014, the number of participants rose to over 25,000.