NYC Marathon Team Runs to Support Hostages

The 101 hostages still remaining in captivity in Gaza, they all have passions, daily routines, and core elements of their daily existence of which they have been deprived of since October 2023. For five such abductees — Naama Levy, Doron Steinbrecher, Evyatar David, Ohad Yahalomi, and Edan Alexander – their passion was the extremely rigorous yet uniquely cathartic sport of running. Whether it was participating in formal triathlons or casually jogging laps around their kibbutz on weekend mornings, running was ingrained in the daily lives of this quintet.

Accordingly, in the months leading up to this year’s New York City Marathon – one that ultimately involved well over 55,000 finishers who completed the 26.2-mile event across all five boroughs – more than 150 entrants registered to run with the Hostages and Missing Families Forum to honor the aforementioned hostages who surely pine for the days of being able to glide carefree across all sorts of terrain. In a remarkable display of unity, the massive contingent of marathoners completed the course while sporting shirts proudly displaying the hostages’ names and images. As millions watched from the sidelines, including a large contingent waving Israeli flags with yellow ribbons, the runners raised funds for the Tribe of Nova, a non-profit organization that supports survivors of the Nova music festival massacre as well as families of the victims.

In speaking to ABC News, days before the NYC Marathon, one runner, Robert Davis, shared: “It’s incredibly important to me because as many know, almost 400 people were killed that day and a lot of people were left injured with mental health issues or physical disabilities or left without family members.”

There are currently 101 Israeli hostages still remaining in Gaza, all of whom are constantly at the forefront of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum’s collective attention. However, because of the natural running connection to the marathon, it made sense to zero in on Levy, Steinbrecher, David, Yahalomi, and Alexander.

“It’s important to highlight specific individuals,” explained Davis. “I think telling the stories of individuals as it relates to keeping their stories alive and keeping hope alive for their safe return is incredibly important. To be able to run in honor of the individuals who hopefully will be brought home soon and let go from their captivity in Gaza is really meaningful to me.”

About their stories: When the 20-year-old Levy wasn’t participating in triathlons and other races, she often could be found volunteering at a kindergarten for the children of asylum seekers; Steinbrecher, a veterinary nurse, loved her Saturday morning jogs; David, in his mid-20s, aspired to pursue a career in music education or production; Yahalomi made it a point to jog every morning – often before swimming later in the day; and Alexander, a 20-year-old native of Tenafly, N.J., was serving as an Israeli soldier, stationed near Gaza, when he was abducted by Hamas terrorists last year.

“Our mission at the Hostages Forum is to ensure that the plight of the hostages remains at the forefront of public awareness,” Dana Cwaigrach, organizer of the marathon team supporting the hostages, explained when speaking to the Atlanta Jewish Times last week. “As the Head of the Hostages Forum in New York, I’ve been in close contact with family members since the horrific events of Oct 7. Our forum has been working closely with Edan Alexander’s family from the beginning, standing by their side.”

It’s important to highlight specific individuals. I think telling the stories of individuals as it relates to keeping their stories alive and keeping hope alive for their safe return is incredibly important. To be able to run in honor of the individuals who hopefully will be brought home soon and let go from their captivity in Gaza is really meaningful to me.

Among the scores of roadrunners supporting Israeli hostages was 40-year-old Israeli soldier Artum Zahavi. As a member of the Israel Defense Forces, Zahavi was not at liberty to directly speak to the media, however as he approached the warm embrace of flag-toting supporters hovering near the finish line at Manhattan’s Columbus Circle, he bellowed out “Bring them home, friends!”

The boisterous rallying crowd – largely organized by Alexander’s parents, Adi and Yael, but also comprised of Israeli supporters who have marched in Central Park nearly every Sunday but were unable to do so on Nov. 3 — responded by chanting in unison “Bring them home!” in Hebrew.

This year’s marathon actually marked the second consecutive year in which runners supported those being held captive. Last November, merely several weeks after the massacre, two dozen marathoners competed with the picture of a kidnapped child plastered across their racing outfit to draw attention to the hostages’ plight. Hopefully, for next November’s New York City Marathon, there will be a very different narrative in place.

“In the days, weeks, and months ahead, we will continue to put pressure on both the current and incoming administrations, as well as all mediators involved,” added Cwaigrach. “We are calling on the international community and the Israeli government to act urgently and secure a negotiated deal. With winter approaching, all data indicates that the hostages cannot survive another season in captivity. Time is running out, and a negotiated deal is the only path to bringing our people home.”

In addition to the 150-person team supporting the hostages, this year’s NYC Marathon also had a dynamic Jewish presence as more than 250 Israelis – some of whom were relatives of fallen IDF soldiers — ran in support of Shalva, an organization that serves Israelis with disabilities, while official partners of the world-renowned race included hospitals and foundations for diseases that affect Jews as well as the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan and Chai Lifeline, an NYC-based non-profit that supports families with children battling serious illnesses.