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Dead Sea Half Marathon, Israel. FEBRUARY 17 In King Herod’s footsteps 2007

By Yelena Kurdyumova and hour away. Before or after the race Sergey Porada runners can visit such historical and holy sites as the Church of Holy Sepulchre, the Via Dolorosa, the Ein Gedi Kibbutz is an hour and a Church of Bethlehem, the Dome of half from Tel Aviv Airport, in the the Rock, the Wailing Wall, and the heart of the Judean Desert. But for new Holocaust History Museum those who had come to the 25th and Memorial. If time or energy is Dead Sea Half Marathon it didn’t limited, then the Qumran caves lie exactly look like a desert. The only half way to Jerusalem. This Kibbutz guest house lies within a was where the oldest of all Biblical botanical garden. It was started by documents, the Dead Sea Scrolls, kibbutz pioneers just 50 years ago were found. on salty desert soil which gets only 50mm of rainfall a year. Now it Alternatively, 20 minutes to the contains over a thousand rare south, lies Mount Sodom, a 12km species, such as biblical myrrh and long ridge of pure salt, believed to frankincense, African baobab, be the infamous biblical city which Sodom apple, 45 species of palms perished together with Gomorra. and an abundance of cacti. Salt pillars remind us of Lot’s wife who, according to biblical legend, We had come for the race, but as turned into one of them when she everywhere in Israel you can’t get looked back on the destruction of away from 5000 years of history. these two notorious cities. Stunning The oasis was mentioned in King views of the Dead Sea and the David’s Song of Songs. Jewish Judean Desert open up from the top people lived in Ein Gedi village in of the mountain. biblical times. It was destroyed and rebuilt many times over the The opening ceremony, the night centuries but was uninhabited for before the race, showcased 500 years before the founding of performances by local dancers and It’s a good place to race... the air contains more oxygen (23%) than anywhere else in the world and filters ultra-violet light and renders the sun’s rays almost harmless.

Kibbutz in 1956. Halfway between singers. A documentary was shown then and now the half marathon dedicated to the memory of Giora was started up. and Tomer Ron, talented local runners who died young. Their At 400m below sea level the Dead father, Eli Ron, was one of the race Sea is the lowest place on Earth. It’s founders 25 years ago and remains a good place to race because the actively involved today. dry, crystal-clean air contains more oxygen (23%) than anywhere else in At the start 2000 runners from 12 the world. The sun shines 330 days countries and the UN Forces in the year but the air filters ultra- gathered for the half marathon, a violet light and renders the sun’s 10km race, and a kid’s run. Even at rays almost harmless, especially in 08.30 it was 23C as the 10km run winter. The unique climate relieves and walk set off to orchestral fatigue with its low humidity and accompaniment. The half marathon high barometric pressure. followed 45 minutes later, along the sea shore course to a turn-around Apart from seeing ancient historical point near Masada National Park. sites runners can also enjoy the healing elements of the Dead Sea Masada is Israel’s second most water. The race start and finish is at renowned site, after the Via Ein Gedi Spa where thermal (37- Dolorosa. Built by King Herod in 38C) sulphur springs and black mud the 1st century BC, atop an isolated are used to cleanse the body and mountain, Masada was a palatial relieve pain and tension – perhaps fortress in the ancient Roman style. better after the race than before. The camps, fortifications and The Dead ‘Sea’ is in fact a huge lake assault ramp at its base are the most where nothing grows and no life is complete example of a Roman siege found due to its salt and mineral system that survives anywhere in the content, which is 10 times higher world. In the first century AD it than the Mediterranean became the eternal symbol of Jewish history as the last stand of a group Jerusalem, the capital of Israel and a of rebels who chose death instead of place of pilgrimage for Christians, surrendering to Roman slavery. Jews and Muslims alike, is only an

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MEN: 1 Nile Admasu GEBRE ETH 1:06:52 2Asaf BIMRO ISR 1:08:08 3 Zavadia WUDEGE ISR 1:08:52 4 Dastau SONAH ISR 1:09:00 5Stanley Kibet KESSIO KEN 1:09:08 6Yonas NEGATU ETH 1:11:29

RESULT 7 Hai NOAM ISR 1:18:42 8 Omry HOLTSMAN ISR 1:18:44 9Dan STEFTER ISR 1:19:59 10 Sharon LURYE ISR 1:20:26 WOMEN 1 Dagne Balcha KALKIDAN ETH 1:18:07 2 Nili AVRAMSKI ISR 1:18:50 3Svetlana BAHMAND ISR 1:19:39 4 Orna BLAU ISR 1:26:47 5 Loris MENDELOVICH ISR 1:28:37 6 Sasi BENTAL ISR 1:33:26 7 Lila FRANKEL ISR 1:33:32 PHOTO: OREL HERSHCOVITCH PHOTO: 8 Christoph TOGGENBURGH ISR 1:34:41 9 Jessica MISIONISHNIK ISR 1:38:09 Kenya’s Stanley Kibet Kessio led Youth overcame experience in the 10 Maria DIAS ISR 1:38:39 from the start, ahead of Admasu women’s race as Dagne Balcha Gebre, who was in turn followed by Kalkidan outran Nili Avramsky, the a pack of several Israeli runners, all defending champion. Kalkidan Ethiopian by origin, and 21-year old passed 5km in 17:38, 150m ahead, Ethiopian Yonas Nagatu. After the but from 13km Avramski narrowed turn around point runners faced a the gap slightly to limit Kalkidan’s of sulfurous water and therapeutic and peace. “If everybody does head wind, and 3km long ascent. winning margin to 43 seconds. mud, assisted their recovery. sports more... it will take the focus Gebre closed on Kessio and took from politics to different places”- The 10km race was dominated by A truly popular event, the race said Nili Avramski, after she had the lead. By 17km he was 300m Israeli athletes. Nina Pekerman, brings runners together from many completed the race for the 16th ahead as behind him Asaf Bimro national triathlon champion won in parts of the world to promote sport time. surged out of the pack to pass 38:57, while Goseph Gizacho, Kessio and go into second place. another former Ethiopian, took the men’s title in 32:47. RACE CONTACT DETAILS Beza Nebaba, another native Ethiopian Israeli citizen, recorded a At the finish line runners were met DEAD SEA HALF MARATHON, FEBRUARY personal best and the fifth fastest by the orchestra and refuge from Yaacov Akrish, Tamar Regional Council, Dead Sea Post 86910, Dead Sea, Israel time in the world for a blind runner the sun under the huge tent Tel: 972 866 88822 Fax: 972 866 88922 (1:32:48). He only started training stretched above the marathon expo. Email: [email protected] Inet:www.shvoong.co.il/deadsea-halfmarathon two years ago, and hopes to run the Free massage and admission to the marathon at the Beijing Paralympics. Ein Gedi Spa, with its thermal pools Full race contact listings start on page 70

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