They came, they ran, they conquered. And they did it all in the dark.
The 10th annual Tel Aviv Night Run is back. More than 25,000 runners will hit the city’s streets on Tuesday, October 31. The run is sponsored by the am:pm chain of mini-markets and will span 10 kilometers of Tel Aviv’s iconic urban center, including Dizengoff Street and Habima Square.
Runners will gather at 8:30pm at the Bar Yehuda Bridge on Ibn Gvirol Street and head towards Yarkon Park (Ganei Yehoshua West). There will be five groups (“heats”) with a 15-minute gap between each launch.
This being Tel Aviv, you can’t have an event with 25,000 participants without throwing a party. The runners will pass several music stages with leading DJs (more for the cheering spectators than the runners, we assume). At the race’s conclusion at 10pm, there will be an after-party featuring music, sports, fashion and VIP areas.
While the Night Run looks like lots of fun, it’s also good for your health. A new study released this week by Israel’s Ariel University found that running makes you happier, generates a greater sense of belonging and reduces feelings of isolation. And the more you run, apparently, the happier you are.
Here’s ISRAEL21c’s look at last year’s Night Run and party scene. After watching the video, we can’t decide if we’re more in the mood to run or rave.