Just five seconds – that was all Marcel Bolbat was short of breaking his own course record at Challenge Israman today. Whether the German top athlete will lose any sleep over it remains to be seen, as he did secure his third consecutive victory at the race.
Given the geopolitical developments in the region, the start list was understandably not particularly deep or strong, but Bolbat has been a familiar face at the event for many years. This time, he crossed the line in 4:13:36, finishing well ahead of Itamar Eshed (4:16:45) and Agur Shahar (4:30:27).
The women’s race featured no well-known names. Since the outbreak of war between Israel and the Palestinians, the event has been attended almost exclusively by local athletes.
