Joshua Strahl underwent open heart surgery at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in 2010. In 2011 he ran his first half marathon.

This Friday, Joshua will be running the Jerusalem Marathon with Shaare Zedek Medical Center and this will be his 18th Marathon. He shared, “Runners should keep in mind that Jerusalem is all hills, it is not an easy race…but it is beautiful and the fans are amazing. I have a couple of favorites along the route. When you run on Har Hatzofim and you are looking over the Old City, it is breathtaking. When you actually run thru the Old City it is invigorating, climbing up the path to the Jaffa Gate and then running on the stone—it is hard on your feet but it is a great feeling. Later on one runs on the Haas Promenade and you view the Old City from another angle. Lastly, the finish line, the fans and the sloping curves of the route, give you the adrenaline burst you need to cross the finish line.