I ran the Tel Aviv Night Run, so I’m now officially a Tel Avivian!
Tel Aviv Night Run overview:
The Tel Aviv Night Run is an annual 10K held…at night. The event is majorly hyped up, and is the Tel Aviv equivalent of the Brooklyn Half, minus having to sign up the minute registration opens. Therefore, I went into the race with high expectations, which I’m happy to say were met!
Cost: 120 shekel/$33. I registered back in July, because by the time I’d make Aliyah, the price would have gone up, and using the Tel Aviv resident discount wouldn’t have helped…oh well. Value for money: A, especially because they close down a decent portion of the city streets for runners
Website: Decent, had a large English section Website: A
Publicity: You can’t live in Tel Aviv and not know this event exists. Also, you cannot run along the beach boardwalk in Tel Aviv and not see people running with the Night Run shirts. It must be some unwritten rule. Publicity: A+
How I got to the race: Jogged to the start! Can’t beat that! A+ (And was able to walk home…also super convenient!)
Weather: Perfect fall weather…excellent for running but I was a little chilly as I made my way home.
Time: Idk, 8pm?
Start/finish area: It was a party…which was weird because there had been terror attacks in the south a few days prior, and the race organizers said that there would be no post race party/concert…but there was. Maybe it wasn’t as big as it would’ve been otherwise, but for me, it was weird. B
Packet pick-up: I live by Rabin Square, which is where the packet pick-up was held! Super convenient…the race goodies included a drawstring bag (that I’ll definitely use), iced tea, an energy bar, a sticker from the coffee company (who I love) that sponsored the event, and the race shirt. A+, love that it was so close to home
Race shirt: They had women’s sizes, but the shirt was black and lame. It’s a night run! The shirts should all be crazy neon colors! I’ve seen blue and yellow, also grey (lame)…anyway, I was disappointed, it could’ve been much better. B-
What I wore: The race shirt and compression leggings. Shorts would have been fine, but I didn’t die from overheating.
Bag drop: Not sure it was an option, I didn’t check.
Course: The race starts and ends on Park Hayarkon, but most of the race is run on the streets of Tel Aviv. This was very cool! What wasn’t cool was that this is a very social race, and way too many people started in the first wave, making things congested. I ran the race in 57:46, with a crazy negative split…if the race hadn’t been so congested, I could’ve run much faster, which was frustrating. That being said, I’m very pleased with how I executed the race!
Bathrooms: None on the course, but if someone was desperate, I’m sure they could have popped into a convenience store, or something.
Pictures: There were some, I looked atrocious, so I’m not posting them here.
Medal: This is actually one of my favorite medals I’ve ever gotten. It’s fun and glittery, feels Tel Aviv-specific, and I like that the lettering is all in Hebrew. A++
(Race medal says “Tel Aviv Night Run”)
In conclusion: I will run the Tel Aviv Night Run every year…I’ve already put the 2019 race into my calendar! It’s a fun race, and running on the streets of Tel Aviv is a very cool experience. Also…if you’re running a race for the bling, this one is worth it. If you’re looking for a racecation, I recommend the Night Run, because the weather in Tel Aviv is pretty good this time of year, and it’s a great city to explore…so why not get a sweet little medal while you’re at it?!
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