Jerusalem Marathon winner Shadrack Kipkogey of Kenya with Mayor Nir Barkat. (Hillel Maeir/TPS)

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Twenty-six year old Kenyan Shadrack Kipkogey won the 7th annual Jerusalem Marathon, finishing the race in 2:17:36.

More than 30,000 runners, including approximately 3,500 international athletes representing 65 countries, thronged the streets of Jerusalem, clogging traffic but giving the city a festive atmosphere on a cool, overcast morning.

Twenty-six year old Kenyan Shadrack Kipkogey won the Jerusalem Marathon Friday, finishing the race in 2:17:36.

“It’s not just a sporting event, it’s a spiritual event,” Mayor Nir Barkat told reporters ahead of the race Thursday. “We’re in the holy city of Jerusalem, running where kings and prophets walked, where the Bible happened.”

The Jerusalem Marathon is an annual event held during the month of March. The run begins at Israel’s parliament, passes through Mount Scopus and the Old City, and finishes at Sacher Park.

Participants often supports a charity of their choice through sponsors.

This is the second year in a row that a competitor from Kenya won the race. In 2016, the winner was Kipkosgei Shadrack.

By: Andrew Friedman/TPS and United with Israel Staff