Closely-secured 6th Jerusalem Marathon sets off

The sixth annual International Jerusalem Marathon set off early Friday with more than 30,000 runners, including 2,300 visitors from 64 countries, under heavy security and perfect weather – clear skies and maximum temperature of 15 degrees Celsius. More than 1,000 policemen were drafted to secure the marathoners and direct traffic away from the route. Jerusalem’s center and main streets are closed to traffic until 2 pm. This year’s marathon has seven tracks. The 42-kilometer full marathon, the 21-kilometer half-marathon, as well as races of 10 and 5 kilometers, a “families race” of 1.7 kilometers and a special-needs race of 800 meters.