If there’s one thing to know about Israeli marathon runner Beatie Deutsch, it’s that despite her diminutive size, she doesn’t think small.
Taking up running as a way of getting back into shape, the 4’11” Passaic native and mother of four, decided to train for a full length 26.2-mile marathon instead of opting for a shorter and infinitely more manageable 5K race. And after discovering her unusual abilities as a long distance runner, Deutsch has set her sights on competing in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, a goal that currently has her petitioning the International Olympic Committee for the opportunity to compete in the women’s marathon, an event normally held on a Sunday, but originally scheduled this year for a Shabbat in early August.
Deutsch comes from an active family, and her athleticism was evident early on. She has childhood memories of clambering happily on top of the playground monkey bars while nearby mothers oozed anxiety as they witnessed her escapades. Deutsch channeled her energy into gymnastics, a sport she gave up after her bat mitzvah when no girls’ classes were available. But 13 years later, after lacing up her Nikes in an effort to see just how far she could push herself, she completed her first marathon in 2016 in approximately three and a half hours, a very respectable time for a beginner. A year later, Deutsch ran the Samsung Tel Aviv marathon, gaining notice both for competing while seven months pregnant (under a doctor’s supervision) and for her unconventional race attire—a tichel along with a skirt and top that covered her knees and elbows.
Deutsch appreciates that jumping headfirst into 26-mile long commitments is more than a little unusual.
“Most people go from the couch to a 5K, but for me it was couch to marathon,” Deutsch told the Jewish Link. “I knew that something smaller wouldn’t obligate me in the same way and I needed to build up my strength and endurance, so I committed to it. I fully believe that if you build up to it, anyone can run a marathon.”
Her first place finish in the January 2019 Tiberias National Championship was a turning point for Deutsch. Her 2:42:19 race time had Israeli Olympic authorities taking note of her exceptional athleticism and offering her an opportunity to compete professionally, making her the first Orthodox elite women’s marathoner. Working with a running coach, Deutsch continued whittling down her race times and she set her sights on the 2020 Olympic marathon, slated to be held on Sunday, August 2. But her world was turned upside down when she learned that the marathon had been rescheduled to a Shabbat. Her efforts to persuade the IOC to accommodate her, pointing out that the Olympics symbolized the universal spirit and athletes coming together under a banner of inclusion, were unsuccessful, and she was told that the date was fixed and immovable. With no other choice, she forged ahead, training for other competitions being held in various locations.
And then the pandemic struck.
Like so many other events, the 2020 Olympics were postponed and Deutsch saw the possibility of an Olympic door potentially opening before her eyes. Pushing the Olympics ahead to the summer of 2021 meant that the entire schedule would need to be rearranged, and Deutsch reached out to the IOC once again, asking them to schedule the women’s marathon for any day of the week other than Shabbat. The response was once again disappointing, with the IOC saying that it does not schedule events around religious observances and, currently, the women’s marathon is slated to be held in Sapporo Odori Park on August 7, 2021—a date that falls on Shabbat.
Deutsch has since joined forces with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher attorney Akiva Shapiro, who petitioned the IOC’s executive board to make a reasonable accommodation for Deutsch’s religious beliefs. Shapiro noted that the request is not unprecedented and that the IOC made special arrangements for Muslim athletes during the 2012 Olympics, which coincided with Ramadan, holding endurance events earlier in the day and scheduling alternative meal times because of the day-long fast. Shapiro also noted that even a Motzei Shabbat marathon would work for Deutsch, something that was done at the 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha, where daytime temperatures of 100 degrees and high humidity created extremely difficult conditions for the competition.
“We are appealing to the IOC and telling them, ‘You did the right thing in 2012,’ and Beatie should be afforded the same kind of accommodation,” said Shapiro.
Deutsch is still hoping for good news from the IOC and believes that the issue is larger than just a single marathon, telling her Facebook followers that respect and tolerance are crucial to bridging society’s gaps and to fostering understanding.
“Being religious may not be trending these days, but it’s just another aspect of diversity,” noted Deutsch. “Somehow it seems that when it comes to religion (and especially when you’re a Jew) it’s frowned upon and you are told to fit in and not do things differently.”
Deutsch, who just turned 31, has placed first in multiple marathons and half-marathons, both in Israel and beyond over the past four years. She has told reporters on many occasions that running is actually the second biggest challenge she faces in her life.
“Motherhood is harder than any marathon I’ve ever run,” said Deutsch. “If you are a mother, you run a marathon every day.”
Deutsch shares both her triumphs and her disappointments with her more than 20,000 followers on social media in refreshingly real posts; she believes strongly in perseverance, both in her races and in life.
“Whatever you want to accomplish you have to be very single minded to pursue relentlessly,” said Deutsch. “Yes, you do have to believe in yourself and to put in the hard work and effort, but the biggest source of strength is Hashem, who opens all the doors for you. I know 100 percent that any race I have won, every step I take is a miracle and I keep asking Hashem for siyata dishmaya.”
Sandy Eller is a freelance writer who writes for numerous websites, newspapers, magazines and private clients. She can be contacted at [email protected].
