Spartanion Tel Aviv 24-Hour

Event Overview

Course & Terrain

Flat paved loop in Hayarkon Park designed for fixed-time racing and record attempts.

Key course features to know before comparing this race:

• AIMS-measured 1,459 m loop where Aleksandr Sorokin set the 12-hour and 100-mile world records
• Clockwise park loop with no road crossings and 2–3 m of climb per lap
• Noon Macarena dance and a 2:00 AM live rock set
• 24-hour livestream run by the organizing team

A clockwise paved loop of 1,459 m, measured by an AIMS-certified measurer, in Ganei Yehoshua, the eastern part of Hayarkon Park behind Assuta Hospital, south of HaBarzel Street and north of the Yarkon River. The organizer calls the surface asphalt, the loop crosses no roads, and each lap has only 2–3 m of climb and descent. Shoes may not have a heel stack above 40 mm; sandals and barefoot running are allowed, but running without a shirt or singlet is not. The race runs under World Athletics and IAU rules with INADO anti-doping control.

January is Tel Aviv’s wettest month. Israel Meteorological Service averages (temperatures 1987–2010, rain 1980–2010) give a mean high of 17.5°C (63.5°F), a mean low of 9.6°C (49.3°F), 147 mm of rain and about 15 rainy days. Expect mild afternoons, nights near 10°C (50°F) and the chance of showers.

Entry & Logistics

Why This Race Matters

Ultrarunner Gilad Krauz, the first Israeli to finish the Spartathlon in 2012, created the Spartanion so Israeli runners could earn Spartathlon qualifiers at home; the name joins “Spartathlon” and “criterion.” A volunteer team has staged it in Tel Aviv’s Hayarkon Park since January 2020, and the January 21–22, 2027 race is the seventh edition, after a gap in 2024. The 24-hour race is the Israeli national championship and carries an IAU Bronze Label. The flat 1,459 m loop is best known for January 2022, when Aleksandr Sorokin ran 177.410 km in the 12-hour race, passing 100 miles in 10:51:39; both still stand as IAU world records. Ariel Rosenfeld won the first four 24-hour races.

Historical benchmark notes in the directory record (verify current records with the linked official sources):

• Men: Ariel Rosenfeld, 227.65 km, 2020
• Women: Liz Malka, 213.94 km, 2020; the organizer lists it as the Israeli women’s record
• Most wins: Ariel Rosenfeld, four (2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023), according to DUV
• World records on the course: Aleksandr Sorokin, 177.410 km for 12 hours and 10:51:39 for 100 miles, January 2022, in the 12-hour race (IAU)
• Age-group world records: Dominika Stelmach of Poland passed 6 hours at 82.86 km and 12 hours at 152.633 km in the 2023 24-hour race; the IAU lists both as current W40 records

Preparing for a Race Like Spartanion Tel Aviv 24-Hour

The 24-hour race guide covers the format as a whole. These guides go deeper:

• 24-hour races explained: How the format works and what to compare before entering.
• How to train for a 24-hour race: Progression, walking, night-gear practice, fueling and tapering.
• 24-hour race pacing strategy: Conservative starts, run/walk options and late-race reassessment.
• What to eat during a 24-hour race: Food choices, stomach problems, hydration and caffeine.

Best Fit

• Runners chasing a Spartathlon ballot or automatic-entry mark on a measured, flat loop
• Israeli runners racing for the national 24-hour title
• Experienced 100 km and 100-mile runners stepping up to a first 24-hour

Planning Notes

• Start conservatively and use flexible process checkpoints for effort, walking, food, fluid, alertness, and symptoms instead of forcing one hourly distance target.
• Repetitive surfaces can expose fit, friction, and loading problems. Check in when symptoms or conditions change, and use only footwear already tested for the course.
• The directory does not mark this as having simpler logistics. Confirm qualification, terrain, support, registration, medical, and withdrawal requirements before planning around it.
• All paperwork, including a physician-signed medical form, is due November 30, 2026, and cancellations after that date get no refund
• The Hebrew and English pages list different qualifying standards and finisher minimums
• January is Tel Aviv’s wettest month, averaging 147 mm of rain
• Pacing is banned, and crew help is allowed only inside the race compound

Event FAQs

Related Preparation

• Browse the curated 24-hour race calendar
• Browse the 24-hour race calendar
• Open the 24-Hour format guide
• Compare all race formats
• Use the timed-race pace calculator
• Estimate race calories and plan fueling
• Build a crew and drop-bag plan
• Build a race-specific gear checklist