Hundreds of Runners Dedicate Race in New York City Marathon to Hamas Hostages

Shiryn Ghermezian

A runner in the New York City marathon is wearing a shirt honoring one of the hostages during the race on Nov. 3, 2024. Photo: Liri Agami

More than 150 runners dedicated their race in the New York City marathon on Sunday to five hostages abducted by Hamas terrorists and still held captive in the Gaza Strip since the deadly massacre that took place in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

The runners competed in the 26.2-mile race while wearing shirts that featured images of hostages Naama Levy, Doron Steinbrecher, Evyatar David, Ohad Yahalomi, and Edan Alexander, five athletes who previously completed marathons and triathlons, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. Near the finish line at Columbus Circle, the NY Hostages Families Forum and many of its supporters showed support for the runners while waving Israeli flags adorned with yellow ribbons, which has become a symbol calling for the safe return of the hostages abducted last Oct. 7.

Yamit Ashkanzi, Steinbrecher’s sister, said the 31-year-old hostage “loves to run” and ran every Saturday morning in the kibbutz where they lived. “On that tragic day [on Oct. 7] she wasn’t able to run and ever since she’s been held hostage,” Ashkanzi added. “It warms our hearts that people will be running today with Doron’s picture and to know that she’s in so many people’s hearts. To know they are running for her because she can’t run for over a year now.”

Levy’s father Yoni Levy said, “When I see Naama’s picture in the huge marathon, I feel her absence so deeply and how it hurts that she’s not here. Naama participated in triathlons and races with deep passion and courage and if she would have known people would be running for her, she’d be excited and thankful for the support and for people fighting to bring her home.”

Some runners also competed in the marathon while wearing shirts that said “Bring Them Home Now” and a group of 260 runners representing the Shalva Center in Israel, which supports individuals with disabilities, competed in the marathon wearing yellow shirts, in solidarity with the hostages. Together the group also sang Israel’s national anthem, “Hatikvah,” minutes before starting the race. The runners included IDF soldiers, those wounded in the Israel-Hamas war, and family members of those killed in the ongoing conflict.

Also at the marathon, Jewish rapper Kosha Dillz filmed a music video for his song “Marathons in the Rain” while running in the race to raise money for Blue Card, an organization that aids Holocaust survivors.