Hate on the Run: Israeli Athletes Hunted at South Africa’s Comrades Marathon | WATCH

An atmosphere of intimidation and hostility clouded this year’s Comrades Marathon in South Africa after six Israeli runners were aggressively harassed by anti-Israel protesters. The runners were deliberately targeted following a call by the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) to exclude them from the race, and their personal details; including full names and race numbers were published online just days before the event.

Held annually, the Comrades Marathon is the world’s oldest ultramarathon, stretching 89 kilometers between Pietermaritzburg and Durban. While the race typically celebrates unity and resilience, this year’s event took a darker turn. As Israeli athletes made their way along the route, they were followed by protesters waving Palestinian flags and chanting hostile slogans such as “Free Palestine,” “You are not welcome,” and “Go home.” In some cases, the runners were reportedly chased for extended distances, in scenes that starkly contrasted with the event’s traditional values of camaraderie and inclusion.

The harassment appears to have been coordinated. Protesters, including members of South Africa’s far-left Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, were stationed along the route, particularly in the Hillcrest area. EFF officials later claimed the runners were “Israeli mercenaries” and accused the marathon organizers of allowing representatives of a “genocidal apartheid state” to participate. Their rhetoric echoed South Africa’s broader political posture, which has become increasingly antagonistic toward Israel in the wake of the war in Gaza.

Critics of the protest have strongly condemned the doxxing of the Israeli athletes and the threatening environment that followed. Jewish organizations labelled the targeting of athletes based on their nationality as a form of hate-fuelled harassment. They pointed out the hypocrisy of singling out Israelis while athletes from countries with serious human rights abuses such as Russia participated without incident.

The Comrades Marathon, a symbolic event meant to honor human resilience and unity, was used instead as a platform for political grandstanding. Many fear that this weaponization of sport not only puts individual participants at risk but undermines the fundamental principles of international competition.

In the end, the harassment of these runners did nothing to advance peace or justice. Rather, it served as a reminder of how international tensions can be cynically exploited, turning even a peaceful sporting event into a battleground of division and intimidation.