Rome, Italy, Mar 27, 2009 / 13:55 pm
A marathon will link the cities of Jerusalem and Rome between April 23 and May 27, thus coinciding with Pope Benedict XVI’s May 8-15 visit to Israel.
The initiative, organized by the John Paul II Foundation, was presented Wednesday in Rome. The objective is to commemorate the 2000 year anniversary of the birth of St. Paul as part of the Pauline Year.
The race will appropriately follow the steps of St. Paul, running through some of the places where the Apostle to the Gentiles went to preach.
The entire route will cover some 1,300 kilometers through five countries: Israel, Greece, Malta, Italy and Vatican City. The marathon will begin on April 23 in Bethlehem and end at St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on May 27.