Hadera Marathon Features Close Races and Memorial Tributes
Translated & summarized from Sport5 by baba
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Around 1,300 runners participated in the Winner Hadera Marathon.
- Sahar Ashal won the men's 10 km race in a close finish.
- Ksenia Kovalskaya, 17, won the women's 10 km race.
- The marathon included tributes to fallen soldiers.
- The event was organized by the Hadera Municipality and Schwung Sports Events.
The annual Winner Hadera Marathon took place on Friday at the city's Eco Park, drawing approximately 1,300 participants for various race categories, from children's and family events to competitive 10 km and 5 km races, as well as a 2 km fun run. The event was held in a festive pre-holiday atmosphere.
The men's 10 km race saw a dramatic finish, with Sahar Ashal narrowly defeating Gazachaw Fenta, who holds the Israeli record for the 100 km ultra-marathon. Ashal finished in 32:48 minutes, just 9 seconds ahead of Fenta, while Yossi Gross secured third place with a time of 33:09 minutes.
In the women's 10 km, 17-year-old Ksenia Kovalskaya, the national cadet champion, took first place with a time of 38:40 minutes. She was followed by national youth triathlete Roni Viscopf and Case in second place (39:10) and European Marathon Championship medalist Helen Wolfson, returning from injury, in third (40:38).
The 5 km race was won by triathlete Roi Cohen in 16:02 minutes, with Yair Botman and last year's winner Hamza Amar completing the podium. Rotem Salibek won the women's 5 km in 19:06 minutes, ahead of Avia Saraf and Avital Lubi Cohen.
Among the participants was Paolo Reis, the professional director of Benfica Lisbon, who is collaborating with Hapoel Hadera. The marathon also included tributes to fallen soldiers and victims from recent years, including Captain Yarden Zakai, a local resident who fell in Gaza during Operation Iron Swords.
Hadera Mayor Nir Ben Haim, who started the 5 km race and ran the 2 km event himself, praised the marathon for bringing runners from across the country and transforming Eco Park into a celebration of sport. He emphasized the city's commitment to promoting sports as a way of life.
The marathon was organized by the Hadera Municipality's Culture and Sports Department in cooperation with Schwung Sports Events. The city is set to host another major sporting event next Friday, the Hadera Swim Race at Olga Beach, in memory of Yitzhak "Kushi" Afgin.
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