Following the success of the first International Jerusalem Marathon in March 2011 in which over 10,000 runners from more than 40 nations participated, plans are already underway for the 2012 marathon on 16 March. The events include a full marathon, a half-marathon and a 10K run – all of which pass through Jerusalem’s unique landscape, rich in history, religion and culture. The March date has been selected to coincide with a time of pleasant weather conditions and low humidity.

The Jerusalem marathon offers runners the chance to compete in a setting of unparalleled natural and cultural beauty unlike any other international marathon course.  The course includes the city’s best known sites including, among others, the Knesset, the Old City, Sultan's Pool, Mount Zion, the German Colony, the Jerusalem Promenade and the Mount of Olives.

The 2011 winner, Raymond Kipkoechh, 34, of Kenya completed the course with a time of 2:26:44, while the winning female runner was Oda Worknesh, 26 from Ethiopia with a time of 2:50:05.

Runners from overseas will benefit from special deals at restaurants, museums and other local attractions and will be invited to the traditional pre-marathon pasta night. The marathon will be preceded by a three-day Health and Fitness expo at the International Convention Center, setting  the tone for the marathon event and offering information on health and sports nutrition, lectures, stalls selling sports gear and much more (13-15 March)

Registration for the marathon is available online at www.jerusalem-marathon.com