“Shai Doron tragically died on a visit to London last July. As President of the Jerusalem Foundation, he lived and breathed his values and relentlessly pursued his vision of Jerusalem as a shared city. He was an incurable optimist, helping to shape the complicated city he loved even during challenging times,” said Jerusalem Foundation UK director Susan Winton.
Rachel Silver and Susan Winton from the Jerusalem Foundation at the Jerusalem Marathon. They were running in memory of Shai Doron, the late president of the organisation (Photo: The Jerusalem Foundation)[Missing Credit]
Winton, who participated in the race, added: “We were privileged to run through Jerusalem in his memory, raising money for two fitting projects, Swimming Together and Football for Trauma Survivors. Shai swam almost every day until he died and was a mad Hapoel Jerusalem fan who strongly believed in the power of sport to transform lives and build communities.”
The late Shai Doron, who was president of the Jerusalem Foundation(Photo: Jerusalem Foundation)
Team members ran various distances, with two participating in the full marathon, one in the half marathon, and the rest in the 10K.
The group included Jerusalem Foundation chairman Lord Leigh and supporter Leo Noé, who proudly joined in the event to honour Shai Doron’s memory and legacy.
Meanwhile, the UK Shalva Team brought 34 runners to the event, including teams from South Hampsted Synagogue, Jewish secondary schools like King David in Manchester, Immanuel College in Bushey and Yavneh College in Borehamwood, and fitness influencer Yoel Levy, known to fans on social media as Jewishfitnesscoach.
Levy, who has 150,000 followers on Instagram, ran the full marathon for Shalva dressed as Batman in memory of brother Ariel, four and Kfir Bibas, nine months who were murdered while in Hamas captivity.
Elsewhere, Gary Sheldon who ran the 10k, said: “It was a beautiful thing to do and a massive reward – ‘nachas’ you could say. I was incredibly humbled to run for the charity.”
He went on: “It was incredible running for Shalva, but it wasn’t just about Shalva – it was about bringing them home. I felt the weight of carrying the people still held hostage in Gaza.”
Team Shalva UK 2025, who ran in the Jerusalem Marathon (Photo: Shalva UK)[Missing Credit]
The community run, a staple of the Jerusalem Marathon, saw children with disabilities and their families running, walking or being pushed in wheelchairs over a shorter distance.
The marathon course took runners through several of Jerusalem’s historic landmarks, including the Knesset, the Old City walls, Sultan’s Pool, Mount Zion, the German Colony, the Armon Hanatziv Promenade, Ammunition Hill, Sacher Park, Mount Scopus and the Mount of Olives.
Michael Ben Baruch, director of the Israel Ministry of Tourism UK, commented on the event's success. "I'm delighted that Friday's Jerusalem Marathon was such a tremendous success with strong participation from UK runners. The event showcases why Jerusalem continues to be such a compelling destination for British visitors seeking both spiritual connection and remarkable travel experiences."
