The Tiberias Marathon is an annual marathon road race held along the Sea of Galilee in Israel with a field in recent years of approximately 1000 competitors.[1] The competition was first held in 1977 and also hosts the annual Israeli marathon national championship. It was Israel's first international marathon event.[2]
The course follows an out-and-back format around the southern tip of the sea, and was run concurrently with a 10k race along an abbreviated version of the same route. In 2010 the 10k race was moved to the afternoon before the marathon. At approximately 200 metres below sea level, this is the lowest course in the world.
In 2007, a Kenyan-born Bahraini athlete, Mushir Salem Jawher (Leonard Mucheru Maina), won the race and was briefly stripped of his Bahrani citizenship for competing in Israel.[3]
Key: Course record Race longer than marathon distance
Edition | Year | Men's winner | Time (h:m:s) | Women's winner | Time (h:m:s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st | 1977 | Werner Dörrenbacher (FRG) | 2:19:33 | Zehava Shmueli (ISR) | 3:02:58 |
2nd | 1978 | Kevin Shaw (RSA) | 2:14:02 | Claire Taylor (RSA) | 3:08:18 |
3rd | 1979 | Werner Dörrenbacher (FRG) | 2:18:31 | Mazal Shalom (ISR) | 3:16:06 |
4th | 1981 (Jan) | James Dingwall (GBR) | 2:16:19 | Zehava Shmueli (ISR) | 2:52:45 |
5th | 1981 (Dec) | Colin Kirkham (GBR) | 2:17:11 | Gillian Drake (NZL) | 2:46:37 |
6th | 1982 | Ralf Salzmann (FRG) | 2:16:39 | Sally Strauss (USA) | 2:46:15 |
7th | 1983 | Hans Pfisterer (FRG) | 2:20:00 | Chantal Langlacé (FRA) | 2:41:58 |
8th | 1984 | Lindsay Robertson (GBR) | 2:16:28 | Siv Larsson (SWE) | 3:05:19 |
9th | 1985 | Lindsay Robertson (GBR) | 2:15:39 | Sharlet Gilbert (USA) | 2:42:54 |
10th | 1986 | Yair Karni (ISR) | 2:23:12 | Kerstin Pressler (GER) | 2:36:33 |
11th | 1987 | Lindsay Robertson (GBR) | 2:16:06 | Maija Vuorinen (FIN) | 2:42:15 |
12th | 1988 | Patrick Joannes (FRA) | 2:18:08 | Maija Vuorinen (FIN) | 2:40:01 |
13th | 1989 | Reta Negasa (ETH) | 2:15:23 | Marika Starovska (TCH) | 2:40:39 |
14th | 1990 | Ahmed Hussein (ETH) | 2:18:55 | Valentina Enachi (MDA) | 3:00:32 |
— | 1991 | Not held | |||
15th | 1992 | Lemi Chengere (ETH) | 2:17:07 | Marika Starowska (TCH) | 2:34:17 |
16th | 1993 | Lemi Chengere (ETH) | 2:17:30 | Frith van der Merwe (RSA) | 2:39:11 |
17th | 1994 | Ahmed Hussein (ETH) | 2:14:52 | Liora Leibowitz (ISR) | 2:51:36 |
18th | 1995 | Ahmed Hussein (ETH) | 2:15:10 | Tatyana Leonova (MDA) | 2:56:38 |
19th | 1996 | Wodage Zvadya (ISR) | 2:19:30 | Nili Abramski (ISR) | 2:57:19 |
20th | 1997 | Lemi Chengere (ETH) | 2:16:41 | Alemitu Bekele Aga (ETH) | 2:52:48 |
21st | 1998 | Moges Taye (ETH) | 2:12:51 | Abeba Tola (ETH) | 2:41:21 |
22nd | 1999 | Dube Jillo (ETH) | 2:17:38 | Orna Blau (ISR) | 2:48:39 |
23rd | 2000 | Asaf Bimro (ISR) | 2:19:45 | Nili Abramski (ISR) | 2:42:06 |
24th | 2001 | Paul Tangus Kipkemoi (KEN) | 2:17:06 | Nili Abramski (ISR) | 2:44:57 |
25th | 2002 | Simon Bor (KEN) | 2:16:13 | Nili Abramski (ISR) | 2:36:40 |
26th | 2003 | Moges Taye (ETH) | 2:12:45 | Esther Einer (ISR) | 2:51:06 |
27th | 2004 | Habtamu Bekele (ETH) | 2:15:39 | Nili Abramski (ISR) | 2:38:42 |
28th | 2005 | Habtamu Bekele (ETH) | 2:18:08 | Nili Abramski (ISR) | 2:44:50 |
29th | 2006 | John Kipngeno Rotich (KEN) | 2:15:43 | Nili Abramski (ISR) | 2:54:49 |
30th | 2007 | Leonard Mucheru Maina (BHR) | 2:13:13 | Nili Abramski (ISR) | 2:39:25 |
31st | 2008 | Leonard Mucheru Maina (KEN) | 2:10:32 | Nili Abramski (ISR) | 2:39:15 |
32nd | 2009 | Jackson Kipkoech Kotut (KEN) | 2:08:07 | Irene Jerotich Kosgei (KEN) | 2:39:07 |
33rd | 2010 | Simon Njoroge Kariuki (KEN) | 2:11:09.5 | Emily Chepkomi Samoei (KEN) | 2:36:40.3 |
34th | 2011 | Stephen Chemlany Kwelio (KEN) | 2:10:02 | Abaynesh Sisay (ETH) | 2:44:31 |