Remember this;
Following local pressure, Adidas reconsiders sponsorship of Jerusalem marathon
This Maariv article [full translation below] from Friday is particularly badly written and repetitive, so I’ll summarize.
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat decides to hold the first Jerusalem International Marathon in March 2011. He gets Adidas to sponsor the event. An Israeli runner registers and then discovers that the route runs through some of the most egregious examples of discrimination and dispossession in East Jerusalem: Sheikh Jarrah, Issawiya, the Shufat Refugee Camp, Jabel Mukaber and Sur Baher (see map on right.)
He approaches the Meretz representatives on the Jerusalem city council and they, with international human rights organizations, approach Adidas. Adidas smells a possible consumer boycott and gets cold feet. The company demands “clarifications” from the Jerusalem municipality. What does that mean? Time (and persistence) will tell.
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Adidas considers withdrawing sponsorship of Jerusalem marathon
Yosi Eli, Maariv, December 10 2010 [Hebrew original here and at the bottom of this post]The sports giant Adidas, which is sponsoring the Jerusalem International Marathon, requested clarifications from the Jerusalem Municipality about the manner in which the event would be conducted [sic]. Sources in the company [say they] are even considering withdrawing the sponsorship because of fears of a consumer boycott, after it became clear that the route also runs through neighborhoods beyond the Green Line.
The company’s communication with the Jerusalem Municipality follows a series of protests it received from human rights organizations across the world, demanding that the company cancel its sponsorship of the marathon, which is scheduled for March 2011.The calls for a boycott came after a left-wing activist, who will be participating in the marathon, complained to the Meretz faction in Jerusalem. He said that it was not proper that the route run through neighborhoods beyond the Green Line. Among other things, the organizations are threating to start a consumer boycott of it does not withdraw its support of the race.In their letter to the Mayor Nir Barkat, which was communicated with the help of the Meretz faction in the Jerusalem City Council, headed by Councillor Pepe Alalou and Dr. Meir Margalit, the [company's] managers clarification over the planned route. A source in the Jerusalem Municipality said that following the approaches to the company, some of the Adidas management and its board, requested explicit clarifications regarding the event, which will be held for the first time in Jerusalem.
Well guess what? Adidas is going ahead with the sponsorship of Jerusalem first Ever Marathon!!!
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When more than 500 runners from 30 countries converge on Jerusalem on March 25 for the Jerusalem's inaugural international marathon, they'll be greeted warmly by Nir Barkat, the mayor and five-time marathon runner. Barkat plans to participate in the half marathon with his regular running group and then sprint over to the finish line to meet those finishing the full track. "When he was elected one year ago, Mayor Barkat decided one of our main priorities should be organizing a full marathon," says Uri Menachem, director of the municipal sports authority. "Jerusalem is one of the most special cities in the world and this will provide one more reason for people to come and see its beauty." A half marathon has been held in Jerusalem for the past decade. The idea of a full one has been floated before only to be shelved due to the hilly, rocky terrain of Israel's capital. Barkat and Menachem decided to turn that seeming disadvantage into a drawing card, dubbing this the "Breathtaking Marathon" as much for the physical challenge as for the stunning sights runners will glimpse along the way. "Some places, like Berlin, have a flat and easy track, which lets marathon runners finish faster, but it's not so beautiful," Menachem points out. "A lot of runners don't care if it takes them an extra few minutes. They want to run and enjoy and see the city. A group of elite runners from abroad want to win the race, but for most, winning is not the most important thing." Running for sport, pleasure and charity Among the hundreds of entrants from around the globe are a few large groups, such as a contingent of 40 from one American company. There are also some Olympic runners and serial marathoners registered such as a 62-year-old Scotsman who's already completed 170 marathons. The male and female winners will each receive $19,500. Foreign visitors will be joined by hundreds of Israelis, including many soldiers and police officers, and perhaps a government minister or two. Aside from the full (42.195-kilometer, or 26.22-mile) and half tracks - as of the end of January, more than 430 people were registered for each - participants have the option of a 10k race or a 4.2k "people's race" to benefit charitable causes such as the Israel Cancer Association and Shalva, the association for mentally and physically challenged children. "Most schools will have the day off and the students will be encouraged to come to the event and cheer on the runners," says Menachem. A three-day fitness and health expo will take place at Jerusalem's International Convention Center preceding the race similar to the French expo that Menachem visited as head of a Jerusalem delegation at the Nice-Cannes Marathon in December. "The Municipality of Jerusalem attributes great importance to the international marathon project," says Barkat. "We will make sure that all the necessary services are made available to runners, families and visitors in order to guarantee a successful run, as well as an assortment of enjoyable events celebrating the marathon and a chance to get a taste of everything that Jerusalem has to offer." Registrants from abroad will be treated to a carbo-loaded pasta dinner the night before, as well as tours of Jerusalem and beyond. All runners will begin from a spot between the national government complex and the Israel Museum, and follow a route through the city's downtown and along the walls of the Old City. Touring Jerusalem by foot
Officials from the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) came to Israel to put their stamp of approval on the route and certify that it measures exactly the right distance. According to the AIMS website, the modern version of marathon races began in the late 19th century as part of the first Olympics, based on a mythic tale about the run of Pheidippides from Marathon to Athens in order to deliver news of the Greek army's victory over the Persian army some 2,500 years ago. Today, hundreds of marathons take place in cities across the globe. "When you are a marathon runner, you tour the world according to where the marathon cities are," says Menachem. The excitement builds As of February 1, promotional banners are going up all over Israel - as far as Tel Aviv, which will host its own marathon on April 8 - to build excitement for the event across the country. Jerusalem's Sacher Park will be the scene of a large public festival from the morning of the race until the runners end the route there. There will be marathon-themed merchandise for people to buy, and all Israeli sports channels will provide live coverage. "We want to give participants an experience they won't forget," says Menachem. "We don't want them to forget the city or the race." Confirming that this is meant to become an annual event, he notes that the New York City marathon began with just a few hundred runners and now attracts 50,000. "It's a tradition. Not a lot of cities can make such a tradition, but in the City of Jerusalem we think we can." | ||||||||||||||||
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