Iran has been on the mind of many Jerusalemite lately, especially those involved in the foreign policy field. But come March 27, many will be saying the name of the country as simply a statement of fact.

March 26 will mark the 17th Jerusalem Half Marathon, as hundreds of runners trek through the city's varied sites in the most tiring way possible. The race starts and ends at Hebrew University's Givat Ram stadium, and strangely enough, skirts the areas Jerusalem is really famous for (the Old City, the city center), hewing instead to the hilly southwestern quadrant of town. What better way to see the The Biblical Zoo, the Knesset, Teddy Stadium, Gan Sacher, The Israel Museum, Yad Vashem, the Jerusalem Forest and Ein Kerem than by running past them?

But the real feature of the Jerusalem race is its topography, which is more Tour de France than Green Acres, making the hills themselves a top competitor. If that weren't enough, the marathon is scheduled for the end of March, a time notorious for its lack of predictable weather, meaning runners could be slogging through snowdrifts, getting drenched in the rain or sweating through a sharav heat wave.

Luckily it's only a half marathon, and for those who can't hack the 21.0975 kilometers, there is also a 10k around Givat Ram at the same time.

The race remains a main event for runners throughout Israel, and is even gaining prominence on the world circuit. This year, a number of teams will be running to support different causes, including a team raising money for the battered southern town of Sderot, where running (at the sound of rocket sirens) has become an all-to-common affair.

Photo courtesy of Jerusalem Municipality