A festive edition marking the 15th anniversary of the International Desert Marathon in Eilat came to an end with a peak of participation and atmosphere. The event, which attracted about 150 runners from 20 countries, combined tourism and sports, with the community highlight being taken from the family end dedicated to the memory of the fallen of the war and the October 7 massacre at the Nova music festival.
Thousands of runners from Israel and around the world conquered the paths of the southern Arava this weekend as part of the International Desert Marathon in Eilat 2025, which was held for the 15th time. The event, initiated by the "Israel Marathon" and in cooperation with the Eilat Municipality, offered a unique running experience in the heart of the desert, and was launched from the Dan Hotel Eilat promenade to the magical landscapes of the Edom Mountains and the Gulf of Eilat.
The marathon, officially recognized by the World Marathon Association, attracted hundreds of participants from abroad and turned Eilat into a center for sports tourism. All of the weekend's events, including the Expo complex and the start-ups, were concentrated in the area of the Dan Eilat Hotel, which served as the official host of the marathon.
The event opened on Thursday with the festive family race (1.5 km), which was dedicated this year to the memory of the bereaved families from Eilat who lost their loved ones in the war and at Nova. This race provided the most exciting moments in the opening of the marathon.
The event featured four competitive races that attracted the best Israeli and international runners, who faced the challenges of the desert terrain: a full marathon (42.2 km), a half marathon (21.1 km), a 10 km run and a 5 km run.
Here are the main winners who crossed the finish line first.
In the main race for a full marathon (42.2 km), the winner was Ran Alterman, who crossed the finish line in a time of 02:54:19, ahead of Ingdao Ambaye, who finished second with 02:59:08, and Naor Sharabi, who completed the podium. Among the women, Noa Berkman Frieling won first place with an impressive time of 03:11:22, ahead of Sophie Weksler Cohen. In the half-marathon (21.1 km), Lopez Romero Javier of Spain and Elisabeth Zuca Arca won with times of 01:26:14 and 01:45:10, respectively.
In addition to the competitive races, a 1.5 km family race was also held on the evening before the race, in which Mayor Eli Lankri participated, among others.
Among the prominent runners on Friday was Dan Amir (57) from Eilat, who lost his leg in Lebanon about a year ago, and ran the 5 km race with a prosthesis. Amir, who has run the full desert marathon twice in the past, demonstrated the Israeli spirit of resilience. Another highlight of the marathon was the "Boys' Race" (the 10 km race), which was held for the tenth year in memory of the late Jonathan Azoulay and the late Ilan Levy, two childhood friends from Eilat who were killed in a fatal car accident by a drunk driver.
Ofer Padan, CEO of Marathon Israel: "There is something about this race that manages to excite us anew every year, and we understand how much the desert marathon is much more than a sporting event. It is a holiday of nature, running and community, which also promotes tourism in the city."
Eli Lankri, mayor of Eilat: "Eilat is proud to host the Desert Marathon for the 15th year. The event connects sports, landscape and tourism, and puts Eilat on the map of international sporting events."
Shimon Kipnis, CEO of Dan Eilat: "On behalf of myself and Dan Hotels in Eilat, we are pleased to host for the second year the Desert Marathon at Dan Hotels in Eilat: Dan Eilat, Neptune and Dan Panorama. We are happy and proud to do so this year as well, and we see great importance in holding a large and traditional sporting event in the city of Eilat and wish the runners a fun and beneficial participation."
The marathon's weekend events also included community sports activities such as yoga on the beach, and a festive flag parade of running groups, all in parallel with the Black Friday celebrations that took place across the city.