The warm winter sunshine, the relative proximity to Europe, state-of-the-art facilities, wide choice of hotel accommodation and the added benefit of unique historical, religious and cultural sites combine to make Israel an increasingly popular destination for international sports events. Listed below are some examples of some of the major international sporting events taking place in Israel during 2011-2012.
JERUSALEM
25 March 2011, First International Jerusalem Marathon offers both amateur and professional runners the unique experience of running through a landscape rich in history and heritage, with breathtaking views and inspirational scenery. Participants can choose between three marathon routes, starting at the Knesset and finishing at the Sacher Park: 42.195 km (26.128 miles), 21.1 km (13.1 miles) and 10 km (6.2 miles).
www.jerusalem-marathon.com .
16 March 2012, Second International Jerusalem Marathon.
15-28 June 2013, European Under 21 football championship finals: Israel will host this tournament, which is considered the most important UEFA national team tournament after the Euro for full international teams, at the Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem. New stadiums will also be built in Haifa, Netanya and Petach Tikva in time for the tournament.
TEL AVIV
8 April 2011, TLV RUN TLV (Tel Aviv marathon): the White city of Tel Aviv, with its beaches, boulevards, parks and Bauhaus architecture, is the backdrop for the annual Tel Aviv marathon. Participants can choose between four races: the 10% race (4.2 km); the Urban race (10km); the half marathon (21.1 km) and the full marathon (42.2 km). www.tlvmarathon.co.il . Future dates: 30 March 2012; 15 March 2013; 8 April 2014; 27 March 2015.
4 June 2011, Tel Aviv Triathlon: this annual event will take place along the streets of Tel Aviv, in the Tel Aviv Port and at the Sheraton beach.
27 July – 8 August 2011, the CEV U20 European Beach Volleyball Championships. Gordon Beach, Tel Aviv.
16-30 July 2013: The 19th Maccabiah Games, a quadrennial competition ranked among the world's top international sporting events, are scheduled to take place in Israel during July 2013, at sporting stadia and venues throughout Israel.
EILAT
28-29 October 2011: Eilat Triathlon. Attracts hundreds of amateur and professional triathletes – the European Triathlon Championships will take place in Eilat in April 2012. http://www.triathlon.org.il/en_ita/en_ita.php
27 December 2011, Youth Sailing World Championship 2011: Taking place for the first time in Eilat instead of Los Angeles, this pre-event for the 2012 London Olympics is expected to attract about 2,000 people from Israel and abroad. http://www.sailing.org/34795.php
20-21 January 2012, Israman competition. Thousands of triathletes from Israel and abroad will take part in this triathlon ( 4 km swimming, 180 km cycling and a full 42km marathon), ranked as one of the world’s top ten best iron distance races in the world by USA Triathlete magazine. http://www.israman.co.il/
19 - 22 April 2012, Eilat Triathlon European Championships 2012 - the first time that the city has been selected to host the European Triathlon Championships in which thousands of athletes are expected to participate. www.triathlon.org.il
HERZLIYA
28 May 2011, 18th Women’s Triathlon: The largest sports event in Israel for women attracting thousands of participants from Israel and overseas is suitable for beginners as well as professional atheletes with three categories of competition – girls; popular & relay and sprint & relay. http://www.women-tri.com/?categoryId=17226
October 2011, The 55th Coast to Coast Sailing Rally: A colorful annual rally that begins with an opening event in Haifa, continues with a welcome gala party in Herzliya, on to Tel Aviv before ending in Ashkelon with an awards ceremony.
TIBERIAS
12 January 2012, 35TH INTERNATIONAL TIBERIAS MARATHON hosts some 1500 marathon runners – amateurs and professionals from Israel and overseas – for a marathon that takes participants along the shores of the Sea of Galilee and around the ancient and historical city of Tiberias.
DEAD SEA
December 2011, Tour de Dead Sea: an annual cycle race along the contours of the Dead Sea – the lowest place on earth and a finalist in the New7Wonders of Nature campaign - which attracts over one thousand cyclists from Israel and overseas.
Participants may choose from four different routes along the Dead Sea, each with varying levels of difficulty.
CYCLING TOURISM
The Tourism Ministry in cooperation with the KKL-JNF, the Cycling Association, the Nature and Parks Authority, the Development of the Galilee and the Negev authorities and other ministries and bodies, has developed a multi-year action plan that includes infrastructure development of 4,900 kilometers of varied cycling paths and accompanying facilities, to be constructed 2010-2015. These cycling paths will join the existing 600 kilometers of trails and about 1,400 kilometers of paths already budgeted from other sources.
