Fear and belonging at the Cape Town Marathon

British fitness coach and endurance athlete Yoel Levy was all but consumed by fear as he prepared to run the Cape Town Marathon. 

Levy, known to his 267 000 Instagram followers as @thejewishfitnesscoach, had flown to South Africa to run the marathon dressed as Batman, in memory of murdered Israeli brothers Ariel and Kfir Bibas, and to bring awareness to the targeting of Israel and the rest of the Jewish world. He has run in 10 countries to do the same thing without a hitch or problem. 

He runs as Batman because Ariel Bibas loved the superhero before he and his baby brother were kidnapped with their mother from Kibbutz Nir Oz on 7 October and later murdered in Gaza. 

However excited Levy was to be in South Africa, he received threatening messages, protest videos, and online intimidation flooding his phone for days before the race. He said that he was unable to sleep because of it. He pulled back from social media and stayed largely out of public view because he didn’t feel safe. 

“The last few days, I’ve never experienced anything like this in my life,” Levy said in an emotional Instagram video after completing the race. “I never thought I would experience anything like this.” 

The Manchester-based runner and Jewish content creator told the SA Jewish Report the threats were frightening because they felt real and immediate. “For this race, this was the first time I received threats connected to somewhere I was actually running. I’ve received threats online before, but they were always from the other side of the world. 

“There were a lot of threats, intimidation, and attempts to get the race cancelled. It wasn’t direct death threats saying, ‘Let’s kill him.’ It was more intimidation, threats to disrupt things, and trying to make me feel uncomfortable and unsafe.” 

At one point, he genuinely feared for his life. “I’m so happy I finished the race safely,” he said. “That’s all I wanted to do, finish the race alive.” 

The experience shook him deeply because he insists his mission has never been political. “All I ever wanted to do was try and be positive. I’ve never ever said one thing negative about any other culture or religion. I’ve just tried to be a proud Jew and to run for two boys who deserve to be remembered.” 

After the fear leading up to the race, everything changed once he stepped onto the course and saw the Jewish community waiting for him. Thousands of supporters gathered at cheering stations organised by the South African Zionist Federation Cape Council. Many wore orange, the colour associated with the Bibas family because of the boys’ red hair. 

Children waved Batman signs. Orange balloons lined sections of the route. Israeli flags flew along the promenade, while supporters formed long guards of honour cheering Levy forward at different points along the route. 

“It really helped seeing the thousands of Jews, all the friends of the Jews there in orange, with their Batman signs, with the orange balloons, and making me feel safe and comfortable,” Levy said. 

“It was just a sea of orange everywhere,” said supporter Merle Rakusin. “There was no silencing us. It was electrifying.” 

For many supporters, the marathon became something bigger than sport. Rabbi Sam Thurgood from United Herzlia Schools said it was the first time since 7 October that he had publicly celebrated his Judaism and Zionism without fear. 

“It felt amazing to be able to do that and to feel safe doing that,” he said. “People brought giant Israeli flags. It was overwhelmingly positive.” 

Experienced runner Larry Mallach, who accompanied Levy during the marathon after seeing how nervous he was at the start, said the emotional support along the route transformed the atmosphere. 

“We had guards of honour more than 100 metres long in places,” Mallach said. “The love and support drowned out the hate.” 

Still, there were moments during the race that reminded Levy why he had been afraid. Near the finish in Sea Point, spectators shouted “Free Palestine”, “baby killer”, and antisemitic abuse from the sidelines. 

“The most hateful and antisemitic comments I heard were in the last two kilometres,” Mallach said. “The words were horrific.” 

Yet Levy said the support from Cape Town’s Jewish community ultimately overpowered the hatred. “Every bit of nerves was worth it so that we could celebrate that together,” he said. “And to remember a family that deserves to be remembered.” 

A supporter, Demi Cassell, described the atmosphere as “warm” and “wholesome”. “When Yoel came past dressed as Batman, all the children were screaming with excitement,” she said. 

Another supporter, Wendy Davis, recalled how Levy stopped to shake the hands of two young boys standing along the route. “Afterwards they told their parents they weren’t washing their hands again because Batman had touched them,” she said. 

Dvir Geva, who helped organise music at one of the supporter stations, said Levy inspired the community to come together publicly in a way he had never seen before. “It created safe spaces,” Geva said. “People felt proud to participate.” 

Supporter Chad Silver said the marathon felt different from previous Jewish gatherings in Cape Town. “Usually it feels like you are reacting to hate,” Silver said. “This time it came from a place of love and belonging.” 

By the end of the marathon, Levy said, his fear had been replaced by something else entirely. “If anything, I feel so proud to be Jewish. 

“I hope this race brought people together. The South African Jewish community, from the children to the grandmas, you made this experience worth it.”