Tel Aviv Bank Leumi Marathon
Tel Aviv, Israel · February · Independent
Why people love it
- Mostly flat city and beach course, with about 168 m (551 ft) of gain.
- Estimated 150,000 spectators in 2018 and big cheering crowds.
- Passes Rabin Square, the Tayelet beach promenade and Jaffa Port.
- Pace groups at 3:15 and 3:30 reported in 2020.
- Open entry; roughly 2,500 ran the marathon among 40,000 across distances.
Watch out for
- Heat: the 2013 marathon was cancelled over a forecast of about 36 °C (97 °F).
- Streets closed so taxis cannot reach the start; allow extra time.
- A two-hour wait at the start was reported in 2020.
- Friday race; listings give start times from 06:00 to 07:15, so confirm.
- Few marathon runners have written about it; most coverage covers the half or 10K.
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 28% of the overall score.
Toughness: Moderate
- Racer satisfactionLoved3.7
RaceRaves shows 4 out of 5 from two ratings, and the one full-marathon account (2020) praises the crowds. Most coverage is of other distances. · Low confidence
- OrganizationWell run3.7
A 2017 reviewer calls it well organised and a 2020 runner describes a lively start with pacers and bag check. · Low confidence
- First timer friendlyFriendly3.6
Mostly flat with big crowds, but heat risk and a Friday race. The one marathon runner cramped late and waited two hours at the start. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialFast4.0
Flat, with about 168 m (551 ft) of gain, and winners ran 2:14 in 2014 and 2019. Heat and a sea breeze can slow runners. · Low confidence
Course
Scenery, road surface, closures, and room to run. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Course sceneryPleasant3.4
Beach promenade, Rothschild Boulevard, Rabin Square and Old Jaffa; RaceRaves scenery is only 2.5 out of 5 from two older reviews. · Low confidence
- Room to runSome pinch points3.3
A 40,000-plus event across several distances; a 2020 runner reported no major bottlenecks, but marathon-specific data is thin. · Low confidence
- Road surfaceGood4.0
City asphalt and a smooth promenade; no surface complaints found. · Low confidence
- Road closuresMostly closed4.2
Streets are closed enough that taxis cannot reach the inner city on race morning, per two RaceRaves reviewers. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Course flatnessMostly flat4.0
About 168 m (551 ft) of gain on the listing, and Women's Running called the course mostly flat. · Low confidence
- Net downhillEven3.0
Loop course, so no net drop. · Medium confidence
Support
Crowds, aid stations, the start, and pacers. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Start logisticsSome waiting3.0
A 2020 marathoner took a 30-minute ride and waited about two hours at the start. Road closures hamper access; bag check and pacers were there. · Low confidence
- Pacers and timingGood3.8
3:15 and 3:30 pacers were present in 2020 and chip timing was used. · Low confidence
- Crowd supportStrong4.1
About 150,000 spectators were estimated in 2018, children lined the beach, and the one marathoner we found praised the crowds. · Medium confidence
- Aid stationsGood3.6
Powerade stations plus water; a 2013 half runner said plenty of water was available. · Low confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 14% of the overall score.
- WindMostly calm3.5
Coastal course with a sea breeze mentioned; no wind complaints. · Low confidence
- Air temperaturePleasant3.8
Late-February highs of 16 to 22 °C (61 to 72 °F), mild at a 07:15 start but warm later. · Medium confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable3.0
Drizzle in 2018, mild in other years, and desert-wind heat forced the 2013 marathon to be cancelled. · Medium confidence
- Spectator friendlyEasy3.9
A loop through central Tel Aviv with the beach promenade and Jaffa, with many crossing points. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level4.9
Tel Aviv sits at about 10 m (33 ft) above sea level. · High confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityGood4.2
Large city with many hotels, though they fill for the race. · Low confidence
- Hotel valueNormal3.0
Tel Aviv is expensive; no rate data found. · Low confidence
- WalkabilitySome driving3.3
The start is far from central hotels and the finish is in Yarkon Park. · Low confidence
- Travel easeEasy3.9
About 20 km (12 mi) from Ben Gurion Airport, with many flights. · Medium confidence
- LogisticsSome complexity3.4
Expo and bib pickup, plus a long wait at the start where bags are checked. · Low confidence
- Town and foodGreat4.8
Beachfront, Old Jaffa, markets and a large food scene. · Medium confidence
Entry
How hard it is to get a place, and what you get for the fee. Counts for 8% of the overall score.
- Getting inOpen entry4.5
Open entry in a 40,000-plus event; no sell-out reported. · Medium confidence
- Value for moneyFair3.4
The shekel fee was not found; a listing shows GBP 59 to 73 (about USD 75 to 93). · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv District, Israel
- Typical month
- February
- Latest or next date
- 26 February 2027
- Organiser
- Independent
- Field size
- About 2,500 athletes
- First held
- 2009
- Distances
- 42.2 km (26.2 mi)
- Course type
- loop
- Climbing
- 168 m (550 ft)
- Start time
- 07:15
- Surface
- Closed city streets and beachfront promenade
- How to get in
- open
- Air temperature
- 12–22 °C (54–72 °F)
- Humidity
- Not reported by runners; coastal Mediterranean city
- Altitude
- 10 m (33 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Ben Gurion Airport (TLV), 20 km (12 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Near the Convention Center, Central Tel Aviv, Beachfront
- Booking
- Start and finish are in different places and taxis cannot reach the inner city on race morning, so stay near the start or use the early shuttle.
What racers and reviewers say
- RaceRaves (Tel Aviv Marathon)Raced 2017 · aggregator · Positive
2 ratings at 4 out of 5 (difficulty 2, scenery 2.5, production 4, swag 4) from 2016 and 2017: a big loop with different start and finish areas, a nice downtown route, well organised, but streets are closed and taxis cannot reach the inner city, so one suggests cycling to the start. About 35,000 runners.
“well organized”
- Jewish LinkRaced 2020 · article · Positive
A full-marathon first-person account: a 07:00 start, the Tayelet beach promenade, Jaffa Port near the halfway point, large cheering crowds including children on the beach, Powerade on the course, a 30-minute ride to the start and about two hours of waiting, pace groups at 3:15 and 3:30 and cramps in the final miles.
“I now understand why the number is so low.”
- Women's Running photo gallery (2018)Raced 2018 · article · Positive
Describes a mostly flat course from the Convention Center to the coast past Carmel Market and Rabin Square, with marathoners continuing into Old Jaffa, a cool, cloudy day with drizzle at the start, about 150,000 spectators and about 40,000 participants including a record 2,500 internationals.
“mostly flat course”
- Times of Israel blog (2013 half, venue only)Raced 2013 · blog · Mixed
A first-time marathoner ran the half after the city postponed the full marathon over a forecast of about 36 °C (97 °F). About 30,000 took part in all events, about 80 needed treatment for dehydration, and one participant died, reportedly of heat stroke. She thought water was plentiful and the city was blamed unfairly.
“plenty of water available”
- Ellis Shuman blog (2019 10K, venue only)Raced 2019 · blog · Positive
Ran the Tel Aviv 10K in 62 minutes and found it easier than Jerusalem by about four minutes over the same distance.
“Jerusalem is much harder to run than Tel Aviv”
Show 1 more
- Jerusalem Post (2019 race coverage)Raced 2019 · article · Positive
Coverage of the 2019 race records about 40,000 participants and a celebration at the finish.
Raced Tel Aviv Bank Leumi Marathon? Your notes on the course, conditions and logistics help the next athlete decide.
Sources
Pages we used for facts and ratings. See how we rate.
Training for Tel Aviv Bank Leumi Marathon? Moku Coach builds your plan around race day.