As I mentioned in this post, when searching for races to run in Israel, I want to prioritize events that are culturally significant. Therefore, when I saw a sponsored Facebook post for the Darom Adom Kalaniyot 10K, I eagerly registered.
Why? So I can recreate this…but better!
Every year in the early spring (February-early March), a phenomenon called Darom Adom (Red South) occurs in the northern Negev desert. Kalaniyot (anemone in English…and yes, it’s a flower, not the sea creature from Finding Nemo) bloom throughout the area. In a word, the sight is lovely. Some enterprising folks created the Darom Adom festival, to encourage people to visit the area. A popular activity is hiking/nature walking, and having a picnic, posing rosy-cheeked children in fields of bright red flowers. The organizers also must be geniuses, because the festival also hosts a race!
For the view alone, this race sounds unique enough to warrant a trip outside of the Tel Aviv metro area. Furthermore, this is an excellent excuse to explore a different part of Israel! My boyfriend wanted to accompany me. This is excellent, because 1) we will have an epic picnic and 2) he has a car and is driving. As an added bonus, since the race is on February 15/the day after Valentines Day, we get to celebrate in a fun, special way, without braving the crowds for a dinner reservation.
Check back over the weekend, for a race recap and (hopefully) beautiful Darom Adom pictures!
Fun fact: In the north of Israel, the Kalaniyot can be blue. If anyone decides to plan a כחול צפון/Blue North event, please let me know, and I expect credit for the idea.