Running for hope: Tel Aviv marathon participants seek to remember hostages and families who were killed on Oct 7

They’re running for the living, they’re running for the dead: This year’s Tel Aviv marathon was a sea of orange as runners focused on the hostages trapped in Gaza more than on medals.

Held on Feb. 25, this year’s race was not so much of a competition as a shared expression of resilience and determination. ALL ISRAEL NEWS correspondent, Kayla Sprague, went over and above the call of duty covering this event by actually participating in the marathon. Speaking about the feeling on the ground, Sprague reported:

“In a time when our nation experiences both profound joy over the returned hostages and deep anguish for those still in captivity, and [those] returned after their murder in captivity, thousands here have gathered today transforming individual steps into collective strength.”

Over 45,000 people came from all over Israel to participate in the event, some to cherish the memories of lost loved ones, while others ran in support of the hostages yet to be released.

There were yellow balloons to signify the hope for their soon return, and batman outfits along with all manner of orange symbolism in memory of the red-headed Bibas family who were murdered by Hamas in captivity.

“My motivation for the running is for the fight to bring Nimrod Cohen back home. He's an Israeli soldier from my city Rehovot in central Israel, and he's been kidnapped,” explained one Israeli runner.

“The Bibas family is in our heart,” declared one woman. “What motivates me is all the hostages in my country, and we’re all running for them to bring them home,” said another participant.

A man who had come from London said he was running for his friend who is still held hostage in Gaza: “We hope that all our hostages will come back, as soon as possible, including Daniel Perez and all the others in captivity.”

Others were running as an act of memorial. One man explained he was taking part “in the memory of my nephew who got murdered in the Nova party,” while another was honoring the memory of his nephew, Nadav, who had been killed while fighting in Gaza.

The distance of the marathon was 42.2 kilometers (26.2 miles), but was more of a communal event sharing both grief and hope in solidarity than a competitive race.

“I love our ability to hold both sorrow and hope, to acknowledge wounds, and continue to move forward together,” said Sprague, expressing the great hope held by all Israel that the hostages will come back home safely and soon.

“With every step we demonstrate while individual Israelis may be wounded, the spirit of our nation remains unbroken - we draw strength from God,” said Sprague, referring to the verses in Isaiah:

“Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:30-31.