The Pineapple Marathoner: Moshe Lederfien’s Tropical Joyride in Berlin
13/10/2025 12:09A pineapple on his head, 26 miles in his legs, and a smile on every face: on September 21, 68-year-old Israeli runner Moshe Lederfien turned the 2025 Berlin Marathon into a tropical celebration. Five hours of effort, not a single stumble, and a life philosophy as fresh as his fruit. The portrait of a man chasing joy — not the stopwatch.
Moshe Lederfien came to make people smile. On September 21, 2025 Berlin Marathon witnessed one of those unforgettable moments: Lederfien ran all 42.195 km (26.2 miles) of the German capital with a real pineapple balanced perfectly on his head. No trick, no harness, no glue — and after five hours of running, the pineapple hadn’t budged an inch.
Impossible to miss. Every spectator and fellow runner looked twice, realizing it wasn’t a hat or a costume — it was an actual pineapple, crown and all. Berlin, the city of records and world-class times, had just met its most unexpected runner.
| Un parcours, 53 marathons et un engagement fou
For Lederfien, this wasn’t a first. The Israeli runner has spent years traveling the world, marathon after marathon, always with his pineapple in place. Berlin 2025 marked his 54th race running with the fruit, a ritual he calls “a way to bring meaning to running.” No tricks, no secret headgear — just balance, focus, and discipline. “
People see me run and I see the smiles on their faces — that makes me feel like a king,” he said back in 2022. A king without a crown, but with a pineapple. For him, the act isn’t a gimmick. “The connection between humans and nature, between body and mind, can’t be separated. The pineapple must stay on my head, even at high speed,” he explained.
His philosophy sits somewhere between art, meditation, and mindfulness. As he sums up simply on his YouTube channel: “I love running marathons with a pineapple balanced on my head.” That fruit has become the symbol of the balance every runner chases — between effort, endurance, and joy.
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On Instagram, he’s known as the “Pineapple Marathon Runner.” His posts go viral from race to race, showing amused spectators and astonished runners. Every event brings the same reactions: laughter, surprise, admiration. Some even jog alongside him for a few miles just to film the spectacle.
During the 2019 Berlin Marathon, a video of him running across a bridge — pineapple steady despite the wind — went viral. In Seville 2024, a minor controversy erupted when some spectators jokingly claimed he had “cut the course” around kilometer 25 (he hadn’t).
| A poetic performance beyond the stopwatch
While others fight for seconds, Moshe Lederfien turns running into art. Balancing a pineapple for 42 kilometers demands immense focus, posture control, and mental commitment — the discipline of a tightrope walker.
The fruit becomes an extension of the runner: a barometer of balance, a symbol of levity, and a reminder that marathons aren’t only about suffering — they can also be about joy.
At 68 years old, Lederfien proves that there’s no age limit to reinvention. His efforts amuse and inspire in equal measure: he’s not just finishing marathons — he’s telling stories, creating shared memories in a sea of runners.
| Running differently
In a world obsessed with speed and records, Moshe Lederfien is a poetic outlier. He turns marathons into living theater, where every stride is a wink, every spectator a partner in play, and every kilometer a celebration of creativity. If elites come to Berlin chasing fast times, he comes chasing smiles. And the fruit on his head has become far more than a pineapple — it’s a symbol of freedom, humor, and endurance.
What’s next? Another marathon, another fruit, maybe an even crazier idea. It doesn’t really matter. As long as there’s a starting line and a crowd to cheer, Moshe Lederfien will keep running — pineapple first.
Dorian VUILLET
Journalist
