Close Finish and Tributes Mark Hadera Marathon
Translated & summarized from N12 by baba
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- 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 victims of recent attacks and fallen soldiers.
- Approximately 1,300 runners participated in the event.
- The Mayor praised the marathon for promoting sport as a way of life.
The annual Winner Hadera Marathon took place on Friday at the city's Eco Park, drawing approximately 1,300 runners of all ages and skill levels. The event featured competitive 10 km and 5 km races, alongside a 2 km fun run.
The men's 10 km race concluded with a dramatic sprint between Sahar Ashal and Gezachu Fenta, the Israeli national record holder for the 100 km ultra-marathon. Ashal ultimately secured victory with a time of 32:48, finishing just nine seconds ahead of Fenta. Yossi Gross took third place.
In the women's 10 km, 17-year-old Ksenia Kovalskaya, the national cadet champion, dominated the field, winning in 38:40. Roni Viscopf, a member of the Israeli youth triathlon team, finished second, followed by Helen Wolfson, a European Marathon Championship medalist returning from injury.
The 5 km race saw Roi Cohen win the men's division in 16:02, with Rotem Salibek winning the women's race in 19:06. Among the participants was Paolo Reis, professional director of Benfica Lisbon, who is collaborating with Hapoel Hadera.
In a poignant moment ahead of the anniversary of the October 7th massacre, several runners paid tribute to victims and fallen soldiers. One such tribute was for Captain Yarden Zakai, a local resident who fell in the recent conflict in Gaza.
Mayor of Hadera, Nir Ben Haim, who flagged off the 5 km race and participated in the 2 km run, praised the event for bringing runners from across the country and fostering a spirit of sport as a way of life in Hadera. The marathon was organized by the city's Culture and Sports Department in collaboration with Schwung Sports Events.
Hadera is set to host another major sporting event next Friday: the Hadera Swimming Race in memory of Yitzhak "Kushi" Afgin.
Read the original at N12Mentioned
