By Ross Forman
I have now raced for a combined 393 marathon miles over the past 4 ½ years – and the last 26.2 miles were, without question, the most challenging, the most grueling, the most painful.I ran the Jerusalem Marathon on Friday morning, March 16, marking my 15th marathon. I knew before I even boarded my El Al flight from New York City, bound for Israel, that this would be a challenging marathon, probably my toughest test ever. And it was, without question. Jerusalem is a city filled with so many amazing, picturesque historic sights, but the terrain is brutally painful for marathon runners. The course went up and down, up and 
down, up and down for the vast majority of the 26.2-miles. And for an added bonus, some of the course is run on cobblestone, which always is a challenge. But that’s not it! At least not this year, which was the second time that the Jerusalem Marathon has been held. Mother Nature, it appears, is not a marathon fan. For race day, the temperature was in the 40s with rain and a stiff wind. And there’s more! At one point during the marathon, it was even hailing. Talk about a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The Jerusalem Marathon is one that every marathon runner should attempt at least once – if only for the sights. There were amazing views at multiple points along the course, but my favorite part was running through the Old City. We entered at Jaffa Gate and exited at Zion Gate. Talk about running through time, or, as organizers promote, running through 3,000 years of history.
The pain in my legs seemed to subside briefly as I ran through the Old City, an awe-inspiring section of Jerusalem that includes the Via Dolorosa (Stations of the Cross) in the Christian Quarter and the Western Wall in the Jewish Quarter, among other highlights.
By Mile 20, I was cussing anyone and anything. Make that, everyone and everything. I was in pain,
not happy one bit. My quads were killing me and nothing I did, or tried, could eliminate the pain.
But I still pushed forward. I’m sure there’s some great life-lesson to be learned from that.
When I crossed the finish-line, I never – in any of the previous 14 marathons – felt as happy and as relieved.
So that begs the question, which I was in fact asked about five or six hours later, Would I run the Jerusalem Marathon again?
Yes, without question.
I truly know what to expect and would know how to train better, more efficiently for the tall order that is the Jerusalem Marathon.
The bigger question is, which would I prefer to run in 2013: the Jerusalem Marathon of the Tel Aviv Marathon? Of course, I ran Tel Aviv in 2011 and that event remains my Personal Record (PR) time.
Tough choices ... hmm, maybe I’ll run both.
Well, maybe not. Or maybe, yes. The next Jerusalem Marathon is March 1, 2013. I’m not sure of the date for the 2013 Tel Aviv Marathon, but I certainly would run either, or both, again – and perhaps even in the same year. And hopefully others from America also will accept the challenge that is Jerusalem.
Personally, I’m looking at Memorial Day weekend to possibly run my next marathon, perhaps in Ottawa or Calgary, unless I stay within the U.S. Why is deciding my next course so challenging at times?
But nothing will ever be as challenging – or rewarding – as the Jerusalem Marathon.
Have a good run,
Ross.
P.S. I will be updating this Marathon Journal soon with more Jerusalem memories.
By Ross Forman
I’ve flown El Al, the national airline of Israel, only once ever – and yet I completely understand how it annually ranks No. 1 worldwide for Best Airline Security.
I flew from the U.S. to Germany on Lufthansa about 15 years ago, and then was connecting on El Al into Tel Aviv. Sure enough, I was grabbed for extra security measures by El Al officials – and they don’t mess around.
They brought me into a private room, asked me about 101 questions, such as, where I was going, where I was staying, when was my return flight, etc., etc., 
etc. Then came my luggage search, and boy do they thoroughly search things. Not one or twice, but three or four times, by multiple agents, each looking at every shirt, sock and pair of underwear I had with me.
When I was finally cleared, they took me and my possessions from a private room and – to my amazement – I then had to go back through the standard airport metal detectors, even though they had oh-so-thoroughly searched me and my possessions for about an hour.
I remember asking the agent why he had me go back through the metal detector after their search, especially since the flight was already boarding. That’s standard procedure, he said.
I guess that’s why El Al is the best … I just hope things are a bit easier when I return to the skies with El Al. I am flying from New York City to Tel Aviv in mid-March, and then will be running the annual Jerusalem Marathon on Friday morning, March 16.
It will be my 15th marathon in about 4 ½ years – those are the stats that still shock me. I ran my first marathon in late-2007 in Florence, Italy, and, even on race-day, I wasn’t 100 percent sure I could complete the 26.2-miles.
Now I’m heading to the Middle East for a milestone marathon that certainly will be my most
challenging. The course has plenty of hills and inclines, and highlights from last year’s event show the course travels along cobblestones at spots. That’s no fun, period.
What is fun, or perhaps it’s a peace offering of sorts, is the goodie-bag that arrived in late-February from – believe it or not – El Al. The airline’s domestic PR department sent me one of those trendy blue draw-string backpacks, filled with El Al-emblazed knickknacks. Let’s see, there’s a pen, the combo keychain-flashlight, the pad of paper, deck of cards, and even a foam airplane, among other goodies.
I have an aisle seat on both El Al flights, as requested. But the double-digit seat number is higher, much higher, than I have grown accustomed to on United Airlines.
I wonder what food will be served on-board, though I’ll have Beachbody protein bars, just in case. I’ll also have a book, some magazines, no doubt some newspapers and my iPad. Am leaning toward watching Money Ball on the way there, if I’m not sleeping. Any movie suggestions?
I feel good about this run. Physically and mentally, I’m ready. I know my standard Insanity workouts, with the regular plyometrics, will pay dividends along the course. I curse Shaun T today; I thank him on race day.
Am not sure yet what’s next on the marathon slate for the remainder of 2012, other than my fifth consecutive year running the Honolulu Marathon in December with Dell, and hopefully Nick again, and perhaps even Tyler and J.R., too. I’ll probably run another marathon in July, August and/or September. Heck, I’m now a Marathon Maniac, truly, so I might just run one in each of those months. Guess I better go look at my options. Marathon suggestions?
Hope everyone has a good, safe run … and flight!
Ross.
down, up and down for the vast majority of the 26.2-miles. And for an added bonus, some of the course is run on cobblestone, which always is a challenge. 
not happy one bit. My quads were killing me and nothing I did, or tried, could eliminate the pain.
Well, maybe not. Or maybe, yes. The next Jerusalem Marathon is March 1, 2013. I’m not sure of the date for the 2013 Tel Aviv Marathon, but I certainly would run either, or both, again – and perhaps even in the same year. And hopefully others from America also will accept the challenge that is Jerusalem.
