US sports brand Saucony drops sponsorship of Jerusalem Marathon

US sports brand Saucony has ended its sponsorship of the Jerusalem Marathon - a race that cuts through illegally occupied East Jerusalem - following boycott calls from running communities in the UK who accused the company of "sportswashing" Israel's war on Gaza.

A spokesperson for Saucony confirmed to Middle East Eye that the US sports brand had ended its sponsorship of the Jerusalem Marathon and taken its logo off the marathon's official website.

"At Saucony, we believe running is a powerful force for connection. One that brings people together across backgrounds and beliefs," said the spokesperson.

"Over the past few days, we've listened closely to concerns from our community about our sponsorship of the Jerusalem Marathon, and after thoughtful consideration, we have made our decision to step back from our sponsorship position."

Saucony has sponsored the Jerusalem Marathon for the past three years, marking its involvement with the creation of official race shoes for the event.

The brand has also made Israeli soldiers who served in Gaza brand ambassadors for the race.

But last week, several running communities in Britain called for a boycott of Saucony's products and races in London after an app called BoyCat highlighted the company's sponsorship of the race.

After boycott calls gained momentum, Saucony reached out to several UK run leaders to discuss their concerns about the marathon sponsorship.

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One run leader who spoke to Saucony said the brand claimed it had "no idea that the distributor" attached its name to the Jerusalem Marathon.

Another run leader who also spoke to Saucony said the brand was scrambling to "polish its image" after revelations of its sponsorship coincided with Britain's recognition of the State of Palestine.

The Jerusalem Marathon, also known as the Jerusalem Winners Marathon, has long been criticised by rights groups because part of the route passes through East Jerusalem, which the United Nations considers illegally occupied by Israel under international law since 1967.

The marathon also encourages its participants to raise money for a number of causes that support Israeli soldiers, including the Thank Israeli Soldiers charity.

A spokesperson for Saucony declined to comment further on whether its distributor has also ended the sale of products in Israel, including in illegal Israeli settlements.

'Sports are not neutral'

Nazrin Khanom, founder of She Runs, a global majority women's running club, said Saucony's decision proved the power of collective action.

"Running should embody freedom, unity and humanity - not be used to mask injustice. We welcome Saucony's withdrawal from the Jerusalem Marathon, a race that seeks to normalise oppression. This decision proves that collective resistance works," she told MEE.

A spokesperson for the Palestine Youth Movement in Britain described the Jerusalem Marathon as a "weaponised spectacle in which every sponsor, runner and supporter participates in sustaining Israel's regime of land theft, apartheid and genocidal violence.

"The Jerusalem Marathon is a tool to strengthen Israel's grip on occupied Palestinian territory and to normalise Jerusalem as its capital," said the spokesperson.

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"Sports are not neutral and have been used by settler colonial regimes, and Israel is no exception. Apartheid South Africa poured resources into rugby and cricket as symbols of white identity, staging foreign tours to project normalcy in the international arena.

"Across various settler colonies, sport functioned as a tool of elimination and assimilation. Sports thus continues to be a front of struggle for the Palestinian people, and a critical arena in which the world must reject the normalisation of Israel and isolate Zionism."

Muslim Runners, a group based in the UK that connects runners from around the world who participate in major running events, also criticised Saucony.

"Brands like Saucony must take responsibility when they get it wrong," said Haroon Mota, founder of the Muslim Runners.

"We welcome Saucony's decision to step away from the Jerusalem Marathon, but this is the bare minimum. There's been no apology, no accountability, and no acknowledgement of the harm caused. Listening isn't enough."

Growing calls to isolate Israel

Saucony's decision to drop the Jerusalem Marathon comes amid growing calls to isolate Israel in the sports and entertainment world because of its actions in Gaza. 

Officials from Uefea, Europe's football governing body, which represents national football associations of 55 countries, is expected to vote on banning Israel from European football later this week. 

Uefa previously made a seeming protest against Israel during the European Super Cup final in August between Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur.

"Stop Killing Children, Stop Killing Civilians," a banner displayed before the match read, an apparent condemnation of Israel's targeting of children.

Earlier this month, organisers of the Vuelta a Espana cycling competition were forced to abandon the final of the race after pro-Palestine protestors blocked the finish line in protests directed towards the Israel Premier Tech team.