After succumbing to injuries which would claim his right leg in the second Lebanon War, Etian Hermon went on to not only finish more than eighteen marathons, but to set the world record for fastest marathon finishing time as an amputee marathon runner.
It’s Etian Hermon acting as an official ambassador of the Jerusalem Winner Marathon.
“After the explosion, when I was being carried out on the stretcher, I told the other soldiers: I am going to run a marathon again,” says Eitan, who earlier revealed the Saucony shoe, the official shoe of this weekend’s Jerusalem Winner Marathon, where he plans to pursue yet another marathon race. After his injury, Eitan said his future was laid out before his eyes. Even though he’d lost his right leg, he seemed to intrinsically recognize something in his heart. He knew he wanted to return to running.
“I knew I wanted to go back to what I had before my accident and continue running, and I wanted to tell a story that no one had heard,” Hermon told iRun magazine. “Even when I didn’t know what would happen, if I’d ever be able to walk again—the marathon always seemed like an obvious, important goal.”
The Jerusalem Winner Marathon kicks off March 17 and iRun has a Canadian reporter attending, to run the half marathon. The entire event—which offers distances from 5K to the marathon, and has tons of children’s activities—traces a race course inside the capital of Israel that’s been tread upon for 3,000 years. I ran the Jerusalem Marathon in 2011 and found it to be an experience unlike any other. For his part, Eitan Hermon, who ran his first 5K when he was 7-years-old, says he’s pleased to have the opportunity to welcome the entire running world to Israel.
“Running is good for my life, both mentally and physically, and it’s a big honour for me as an Israeli Paralympian to be part of the Jerusalem Winner Marathon,” he said, and then mentioned that he still runs with other Israelis who were part of his military unit. “After the accident, my life turned out for me to be a Paralympian—to be part of our sport in that manner—but that makes me even more proud to be part of this event. In Israel, we run together and I want to bring as many people as possible to my home.”
The Mayor of Jerusalem has even gotten into the Jerusalem Winner Marathon action. Revealing the event’s mascots, he said: “The sign of the lion, the undisputed sign of Jerusalem the capital city, will be firstly used as the mascot for the traditional marathon,” said Moshe Lion, Jerusalem’s Mayor. “Beside him for a mascot, we choose the figure of lioness, which together they symbolize the sporty spirit and the determination of the thousands of runners that come from all the sectors and communities of society—good luck to you all.”
iRun will be joining the action in Jerusalem beginning next week.
The Jerusalem Winner Marathon begins March 17, 2023. For more information, please see jerusalem-marathon.com. And keep your eyes peeled to iRun for an exclusive post-race report.
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