JERUSALEM (JTA) — A haredi Orthodox mother of five from Jerusalem won a half-marathon race in Latvia.
Beatie Deutsch, 29, was the top woman finisher in Sunday’s 13-mile race in Riga in a time of 1 hour, 17 minutes, 34 seconds, reportedly becoming the first haredi woman to win an international athletics competition.
She has a coach and is receiving partial funding by the state to train for the 2020 Olympics.
“So many of you shared stories of your families that had perished in Riga and it felt truly incredible to be running through the streets as a proud Jewish woman,” Deutsch, who uses the moniker “Marathon Mother,” wrote in a post on Facebook after the race.
Deutsch won the 2018 Jerusalem Marathon and the Tiberias Marathon in January. She ran the Tel Aviv Marathon in 2017 while seven months pregnant.
Deutsch, who made aliyah from New Jersey in 2009, is known for running in modest clothing including a skirt, shirt sleeves below her elbow and headscarf.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
