With Tel Aviv virtually closed to traffic, the ninth annual Tel Aviv marathon was run through the city’s streets Thursday. The winner was 27-year-old Osmiro da Souza, a Brazilian bank clerk, who finished in 2:13:23.
He was followed to the finish line by Jean-Claude Brusson of France and Henry Kluper of Poland.
The first woman home was Czeslova Manitlevich, from Poland, who finished in 2:53:14.
Shopkeepers complained over the lack of customers in their stores while the marathon runners passed through streets closed to traffic.
One was heard to remark: “We suffer enough from enforced holidays on election days. Why do we have to suffer because of roadrunners?”
The marathon was run by 250 participants, including 19 from abroad.
Some 2,500 participants took part in the half-marathon, with another 8,000 taking part in a shorter race.
The race was run in what the participants described as “perfect running weather — dry and neither too hot nor too cold.”
Throughout the morning, Israel Radio repeatedly broadcast police requests to those without urgent business in Tel Aviv to remain away from the city.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
