Interview with Beatie Deutsch, Israel’s Marathon Mother

For many women, pursuing their dreams feels like just that – a dream. We get stuck in our routines and life takes over, and this goes for anyone at any stage in life. Sometimes, our passions don’t ‘fit in’ with our communities or lifestyles, and time after time, we let our hopes fall by the wayside in favor of a quieter, more ‘normal’ life. 

The thing is, life doesn’t have to be this way. Beatie Deutsch is a testament to this. Beatie decided that she needed a change in her life, and slowly but surely, she became a famous marathon runner and reached heights – and speeds – that she never imagined.

Beatie Grew up in New Jersey and spent much time visiting Israel with her family. After high school, she went to seminary and decided from there that she was going to make Israel her home. After her seminary experience as a student, she became a madricha at another institution, and shortly thereafter met her husband. The two married, and they began their life together in Israel. The Deutschs spent two years in Tucson, Arizona, doing kiruv work at a local college campus, giving hundreds of Jewish students a home away from home. After two years, they returned to Jerusalem. 

Beatie’s first exposure to marathons was having four kids in six years. After that, she felt out of shape, and told her husband that she wanted to run a marathon. Her goals weren’t grand at the time, she just wanted something concrete to motivate her to exercise every day. It’s safe to say that she had no idea where this would lead her, but her rise to fame was very organic. In her first three years, Beatie ran three marathons – the second of which she did while 7 months pregnant! Her third was the Jerusalem Marathon, which she won, and which put her on the map as an Orthodox runner. From there, Beatie was unstoppable.

Beatie uses running as a parable for our spiritual growth in this world. Developing our inner self-control and harnessing the strength of our mind is exactly how we refine our middot, and that’s what we’re here to do. We may not see spiritual growth as tangibly as physical growth, but if we channel the same strength and mindset to our spiritual desires, the work will pay off.

When asked what running really means to her, Beatie was quick to point out that while we think of running as just physical exercise, we really underestimate the spiritual and mental effects that it has. When we’re so caught up with life, we don’t realize how much we need an outlet, and for Beatie, running did just that. It was empowering for her to set huge goals for herself and constantly work towards them. Seeing your progress week by week is hugely motivating, and once you accomplish your goal, you can stand back in awe of what you’ve achieved. 

Beatie uses running as a parable for our spiritual growth in this world. Developing our inner self-control and harnessing the strength of our mind is exactly how we refine our middot, and that’s what we’re here to do. We may not see spiritual growth as tangibly as physical growth, but if we channel the same strength and mindset to our spiritual desires, the work will pay off.

One notable question is that of tzniut – how does one maintain modesty in a field where it doesn’t ‘fit in’? For Beatie, this was never really a consideration. When Beatie started running, it wasn’t serious or competitive, so she wore a long skirt like she always did. As time went on, people started making comments, and especially as Beatie’s running got more serious, she understood that every second counts, and more clothes meant longer times. Still, Beatie never considered changing how she dressed. She was known for dressing modestly and had no desire to change. 

One key element in Beatie’s hashkafa is that tzniut is a character trait, and that it’s deeply connected to other traits like humility. She notes that Micha HaNavi¹ lists tzniut as one of the three pillars that build an authentic Jewish personality. “We come into this world as raw material, we have so many talents and it’s up to us to develop them”, Beatie says. 

Of course, Beatie notes that when you’re in the process of refining your talents and achieving goals, it’s sometimes hard to remember that everything is from Hashem, not us. It’s vital that we know who we are and what we’re worth, but we always have to be aware that ultimately everything is from Hashem – this is the crux of tzniut to Beatie.

Beatie was keenly aware from the start that she needed constant guidance and advice from her rabbi to navigate the tricky terrain of modesty and popularity. She consulted him over everything, and highlights the importance of having a rabbi or mentor who is not only knowledgeable halachically, but who also understands you as a person. 

Again, the key to this balance is gratitude. Beatie firmly believes that we’re not supposed to hide our gifts that Hashem gives us, we just need to use them in a way that will glorify Hashem. Absolutely use and develop your talents, just acknowledge where they come from! “It’s not about seeking attention, it’s about bringing more light into the world and reflecting the unique aspect of Godliness that you bring to the world”, Beatie poignantly notes.  

Another delicate matter is the actual halachot associated with running competitively. Beatie notes that this tends to be more complicated for men, given the known lack of modesty in competitive running, but another question is that of communal consideration. A runner needs to train, but not every community will like people, especially women, running publicly around the neighborhood. Beatie emphasizes that the runner in this case needs to be conscious of where they are and what is appropriate, but that even if they can’t run in the neighborhood, it’s usually not hard to find somewhere nearby to run. 

Luckily, Beatie has had a lot of support from her community. Her parents raised Beatie and her siblings with the hashkafa she carries today, to not be afraid to be different. Needless to say, they’re very proud. Not everyone has been thrilled at Beatie’s chosen path, but she and her family have found communities where they fit in and where their values align. 

To anyone who has a talent that they fear doesn’t fit in with what’s expected of them, Beatie encourages them to block out the noise and focus on what you know to be true. If you know you have a gift to offer the world and want to figure out how to use it in a way that aligns with your values – believe in yourself. Nobody will do it for you, she adds. You have to make things happen yourself and not be scared of failure. Too often, we don’t realize just how hard it is to reach for our dreams, so we give up before we really even try.

So, what’s next for Beatie? As usual, she’s not ruling anything out. The 2025 World Championships are around the corner, and while she knows it won’t be easy, Beatie is determined. Not to mention the 2028 Olympics, where Beatie hopes to make her mark on a world stage. Watch this space! 

1. Micha 6:8 ↩︎