In a quiet cemetery near Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel on Sept. 30, an unlikely figure stands with his head bowed, an Israeli flag held firmly in his hand.
Yoel Levy, known to his almost 220,000 followers on Instagram as “The Jewish Fitness Coach” who turns into “Marathon Batman,” is paying his respects at the joint grave of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas.
Yarden and Shiri Bibas and their two red-haired tots, Kfir and Ariel, were kidnapped from their home on Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks and brutally murdered in captivity. Hamas released Yarden Bibas on Feb. 1., as part of the fourth round of releases in a ceasefire deal.
The Bibas family became a symbol of the hostage crisis. The image of a terrified Shiri, cradling her two boys, was a devastating reminder of the brutality of that day. Their remains were held by Hamas until February, when they were handed over to Israel in a grotesque ceremony. Shiri, Kfir, 4, and Ariel, 9 months, were laid to rest in a single grave on Feb. 26.
Levy, 26, who hails from Manchester, England, started competing in marathons in 2017 and, after taking a break from running a few years later, he started again at the end of 2023. While he is still based in the United Kingdom, he plans to make aliyah in the next few years.
Levy has become a familiar sight at some of the world’s most famous marathons. From Sydney to Jerusalem, in the pouring rain or blazing heat, Levy dons his Batman suit and runs. He says there is “an extremely emotional reason” for competing in marathons dressed as the popular comic-book superhero, Batman.
“The day after I found out about the murder of the Bibas family and I knew that they loved Batman, I had the idea and I thought, ‘Let’s just do it.’ It was my way to give back in the Holy Land and I had no idea where it would lead,” he tells JNS.
Asked about the terrorist attack at a synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur, in which two people were murdered by a terrorist, he says, “As someone who grew up in Manchester, this attack hits very close to home. My sister goes to that shul when she isn’t visiting home and the rabbi there is an incredible person, especially with my sister, who has Down syndrome.”
He adds, “To see a place that has given my family so much warmth targeted like this is heartbreaking. My thoughts are with the victims, their families and the entire community. We will not let fear define us.”
When Levy signed up for the Jerusalem Marathon, in which he ran as part of Team Shalva, supporting Shalva, the Israel Association for the Care and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities, he decided to run in the Batman suit in honor of the Bibas family.
Posting on his Facebook page after completing the marathon, Levy wrote, “Running in memory of the Bibas boys wasn’t just about finishing 42 kilometers. It was about showing up for something bigger than myself. Turning heartbreak into hope. Grief into movement. Silence into strength.”
Speaking to JNS from Tel Aviv, where he is training for the upcoming Toronto Marathon, Levy observes that many people in the U.K. and around the world were impacted by the story of the Bibas family.
In July, Levy had the opportunity to meet Yarden Bibas, who was held hostage without knowing the fate of his wife and sons. Bibas had made contact with him after seeing him run in his Batman outfit in the London Marathon.
“I am very careful what I do. I have not had to go through what [the Bibas family] have and I want to make sure I do everything with the utmost respect. I am very grateful for their support,” says Levy. “It has given me perspective about my life and why I run. I met members of the Bibas family in Sydney. The family came with personalized t-shirts and I am so grateful that they care. Their goal is to teach about what happened to their family worldwide.”
Yarden Bibas’s mother, Pnina, gifted Yoel with a Batman pin. A prized possession, he now wears it to remember the past and to honor all of the families who lost so much on and since Oct. 7.
In addition to running in support of the Bibas family, Levy continues to run to raise awareness for Shalva and children with disabilities. In February 2026, he plans to run in the Tel Aviv Marathon with a very special sidekick: his sister, Hannah, who has Down syndrome.
Hannah will walk with assistance, holding her brother’s hand. “Shalva is an amazing organization,” Levy says. “They are a real blessing. They don’t just help individuals, but families as well. The staff are amazing and many of them are also doing miluim (reserve service) and that has a huge impact.”
In addition to running marathons as the caped crusader, Levy still works as a fitness coach and has become a popular social media content creator whose positive and proudly Jewish messaging resonates with many around the world.
“My goal is to inspire people to be healthy and fit and connected to their Judaism,” he says.
On the second anniversary of Oct. 7, when many are still suffering from trauma, Levy expresses his firm belief that fitness helps build resilience, sharing some tips with JNS on how to best take care of oneself.
“It is important to reflect and mourn and take time to think about the impact of what we endured and also to think of what we can do for our future,” he says. “We can take small steps outside of our comfort zones. Start by doing a 10-minute walk and be consistent. You will start to feel stronger and be shocked at how good you feel. Do something that you enjoy doing.”
He concludes, “When we are healthy, we are more resilient. We cannot change the past and we can still feel the emotions, but we can help one another get stronger. We have a responsibility to support each other and to listen to each other’s stories.”
