A Marathon in Honor of the Bibas Children

In the shadow of glass skyscrapers and city streets, one man will run not just for race times but for memory, truth, and justice.

Eli Wininger, an IDF reservist and endurance athlete, has turned his strides into a statement. In October last year, he ran 400 km in Utah, raising $40,000 for hostages in Gaza. That journey was powerful. But on Nov. 2, he will don a Batman costume and run the New York City Marathon honoring the Bibas family murdered by Hamas.

He is no stranger to extreme physical feats he has competed in Ironman triathlons. Originally slated to run Utah in October 2023, Wininger instead rushed to Israel when Hamas launched its murderous October 7 assault. He fought for five months, including two in Gaza.

The decision to run as Batman traces back to March 2025, at the Los Angeles Marathon. That race came just after the remains of Shiri Bibas and her sons Ariel (4) and Kfir (9 months) were returned to Israel. Ariel adored Batman, and family photos show them wearing Batman-themed shirts and costumes. Wininger adopted the symbol to underscore the innocence of victims and the inhumanity of the terror.

“To run with a cape is to highlight the horror they did not by accident, but by intent,” he said, pointing out that Ariel and Kfir were kidnapped, not collateral.

Wininger isn’t just running. He carries the Israeli flag, stands his ground, and answers hard questions. He’s had conversations with strangers Muslims from distant countries among them about why he wears the costume, what happened to the Bibas kids, and where the moral blame lies.

His status as an IDF reservist lends weight to those dialogues. He says it allows him to speak from experience grounded in what he’s seen, not just what he’s read or heard.

Still, he’s encountered hostility. Some runners have shouted obscenities, branded him a Nazi, or accused Israel of genocide. His response? He raises the flag higher and presses onward. Later, people approach him, asking quietly how he stayed so composed.

He advises engaging calmly, speaking with confidence, and never abandoning respect for the individual doing your part to shift perceptions one heart at a time. “You don’t need to run a marathon in a Batman suit. You just need to do your version of something,” he said.

The story of the Bibas family is tragic and brutal. During the October 7 massacre, militants from Hamas stormed Kibbutz Nir Oz, abducting Yarden, Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir. Later forensic reports and Israeli government statements conclude that the captors killed Shiri and her two children and mutilated the bodies to simulate damage from bombing. Hamas claims they died in an airstrike, but Israel asserts it has evidence disproving that narrative.

By speaking truth through motion through a flag, through a costume, through conversation Wininger is resisting the erasure of victims and the distortion of their stories.

May his run carry those children’s names across streets, beyond the finish line, and into the hearts of all who learn of them.

Israel stands not merely as a land but as a people determined committed to life, freedom, and the dignity of every soul. Share this tribute with others who care about truth and justice and if you value stories like this, consider subscribing to our newsletter for more.