20,000 runners in memory of Druze community fallen: 'In the Path of the Sons' race sets off

About 20,000 participants set off this morning for the 'In the Path of the Druze Sons' race at Kfar Hitim, in memory of Druze community members who fell in Israel's campaigns. The race, held for the 14th year, was also dedicated this year to IDF soldiers, reservists, and security forces. The event included running, cycling, and walking segments, with participation from spiritual leaders, senior officers, and public figures.

About 20,000 participants set off this morning (Friday) for the 'In the Path of the Druze Sons' race, held for the 14th time in the Kfar Hitim area, near the Golani Junction in the Lower Galilee. The annual event is held in memory of Druze community members who fell in Israel's campaigns, and this year was also dedicated to IDF soldiers, reservists, and security forces. The first heat was launched by the Commander of the Northern Command, Major General Rafi Milo, and the initiator and founder of the 'In the Path of the Sons' project, Brigadier General (res.) Amal Asaad. The event includes running segments of five and ten kilometers, a 25-kilometer cycling segment, and a popular three-kilometer walking route. Participants include civilians from across the country, students and youth, bereaved families, military personnel, as well as representatives of the police, Magen David Adom, and fire and rescue services. The event was also attended by the spiritual leader of the Druze community, Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, Police Commissioner Chief Superintendent Danny Levy, former Defense Minister and Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon, former Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, heads of Druze local authorities, and senior officers. The race takes place a few months before the completion of the 'Path of the Sons' – a memorial project established in cooperation with KKL-JNF and the 'In the Path of the Druze Sons' association. The path, about 220 kilometers long, is expected to connect the Druze communities in the Carmel and Galilee, from Daliyat al-Karmel and Isfiya to the tomb of Nabi Shu'ayb. The project is dedicated to the memory of community members who fell in Israel's campaigns and is intended to allow hikers to pass between Druze villages, learn about the community's heritage, and combine natural sites, settlements, and memorial sites. Brigadier General (res.) Amal Asaad, the project initiator, said that 'the covenant between Druze and Jews is not written on paper – it is written in the blood of 451 fallen and in the lives of thousands of fighters who continue today to defend the State of Israel.' According to him, 'the In the Path of the Sons race is much more than a sports event; it is a meeting of memory, appreciation, and hope. It reminds us all that our connection is built from a shared destiny, mutual responsibility, and faith in a common future.'