Historic Joint Running Race Held Between Ganei Tikva and Kiryat Ono
Translated & summarized from Sport5 by baba
Over 3,000 runners participated in the inaugural GO RUN race between Ganei Tikva and Kiryat Ono on Friday. The event honored fallen soldiers and victims of the October 7th massacre, with mayors and bereaved families present. Berhanu Yamachau won the men's 10km, and Xenia Kovalsky won the women's 10km. The race aimed to foster community and connection between the two cities.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Over 3,000 runners participated in the historic GO RUN race between Ganei Tikva and Kiryat Ono.
- The race included a significant remembrance element for fallen soldiers and October 7th victims.
- Mayors Michal Rosenstein and Lizi Delaricha led the event, emphasizing community connection.
- Berhanu Yamachau won the men's 10km race with a time of 32:55.
- Xenia Kovalsky, 17, won the women's 10km race with an impressive 38:09.
- The event is hoped to become a new regional tradition.
The first-ever GO RUN joint race between Ganei Tikva and Kiryat Ono took place on Friday morning, drawing over 3,000 participants. The event, which included competitive and recreational categories, was marked by a significant focus on remembrance. Mayors Michal Rosenstein of Kiryat Ono and Lizi Delaricha of Ganei Tikva stood at the starting line alongside Sigal Halifa, mother of Gaia Halifa, who was murdered on October 7th and represented bereaved families. Before the 5km race, participants released white balloons in memory of the city's residents who are no longer alive. Dozens of soldiers from the Moran unit ran with stickers honoring Sergeant Barak Halperin, a Kiryat Ono resident killed in Gaza. Meirav Sudai, mother of Sergeant Sahar Sudai, also participated and displayed a flag in his memory at the finish line, alongside numerous other tributes to fallen soldiers.
In the 10km race, Berhanu Yamachau won with a time of 32:55, followed by Anatoly Zmeytin in second place (33:42) and Israeli record holder Gezachu Fenta in third (34:50). Among women, 17-year-old Xenia Kovalsky, the national cadet champion, secured first place with an impressive 38:09, demonstrating strong performance on the road after a recent win in Hadera. Sarit Hirshberg finished second (43:30), and Chen Senter was third (46:23).
The 5km race saw dominance by young triathletes. Yishai Handel won the men's division with 15:45, returning from the European Cadet Championships. Biran Han came in second (16:39), just ahead of Hamza Amar (16:41). In the women's 5km, Neta Amir, the national cadet record holder, won with 17:29, followed by Noam Beksachs (18:54) and Reut Freudenberger (20:00). The 2km race winners were Uri Cohen (6:12) for men and Neta Greenblatt (7:52) for women, both from the Road Runner club.
Mayor Lizi Delaricha described the event as a "wonderful celebration of sport and community," highlighting its ability to connect people and create shared experiences. Mayor Michal Rosenstein called it a "true community celebration that connected the two cities, generations, and people," expressing joy at seeing everyone participate together. Both mayors expressed hope that this would be the start of a beautiful regional tradition.