This win is for my country, says Israeli Haimro Alame after taking first place at Chevron Houston Marathon
![Alame Haimro runs with an Israeli flag after winning the Men's Elite Race of the Houston Marathon in Houston, TX, January 19, 2025. (Photo: Erik Williams/USA TODAY Sports via Reuters)](https://res.cloudinary.com/hb0stl6qx/image/upload/w_900,c_scale,q_auto,f_auto,dpr_auto/v1738175053/AIN/2025-01-19T170548Z_114338233_MT1USATODAY25225687_RTRMADP_3_RUNNING-HOUSTON-MARATHON.jpg)
Israeli runner Haimro Alame won this year’s Chevron Houston Marathon last week, with a time of 2:08:17.
Alame’s win marked the first time an Israeli has won the Houston Marathon, an annual event that began in 1972.
An Ethiopian Jew who immigrated to Israel as a teenager, Alame said he was glad to win on behalf of Israel.
“My country is going through [a] tough time,” Alame said, according to a report from the Houston Chronicle. “Right now the win is not for me but for my country. I’m happy to get my country mentioned in this context.”
“I praise God that I was able to follow my plan,” he added.
While Alame won this year’s Houston Marathon, he came short of his personal record, which is 2:06:04 – 32 seconds faster than the Houston Marathon’s record holder.
Alame’s victory came within just seconds, as Eritrean runner Yemane Haileselassie finished second place with a time of 2:08:25.
In third place was Kenya’s Shadrack Kimining at 2:08:29.
Alame has represented Israel across the world, including as a marathon runner at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
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The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.