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The annual Beirut Marathon, a race that unites Lebanese people and international runners under one event, will take place this Sunday November 12. Despite the country’s political and economic situation which is getting worse by the day, the race will still be held with the same determination that has always characterized it, making it even more special.
This year’s event will involve 350 field teams, 1,100 volunteers and 19 charitable associations, with a number of participants that keeps growing as this race is expected to break the records of past editions.
For the event to take place, the roads will be closed on Sunday starting 5 AM, and the circuit will include 18 cheering stations, monitoring referees, medical staff and several water stations. There is no doubt that the event has become of great importance, as it is seen by many as one of the biggest annual events in Lebanon.
Regarding this year’s track, the start and finish point will be located on the Beirut Waterfront. It will regroup many categories like Half Marathon for Para-Athletes (6:15 AM), Half Marathon and Marathon (6:30 AM), a 10KM race (7:30 AM) and a 5KM fund run (10 AM), so there will be no shortage of entertainment, as everyone is able to participate.
The organization will be also looking to modify the track in order to hold a comfortable race that could help runners break current race records: 2:10:41 for men and 2:28:38 for women.
The association’s media advisor and journalist Hassan Mehieddine shared his greetings to the team that consistently aims to increase its standards every year, as the Beirut Marathon has seen significant progress since its inception.
The Beirut Marathon was founded in 2003 by May Khalil after an accident she suffered while running. This edition marks 21 years of the association but also 21 years of transmitting the same message: to resonate with human conscience and to reflect the importance of achieving national unity.
The event is affiliated with the Ministry of Youth and Sports and focuses on organizing activities through running and physical effort. Its main aim is to build athletic generations for Lebanon who all run under what truly unites them: their nationality. Additionally, it regroups various training programs, with up to 542 in total and 510 for women.
The race also carries national, health, cultural, social and charitable slogans to emphasize the relationship between sports and other sectors through the Lebanese community. Moreover, it aligns with the conviction of the Lebanese people to reject violence and represent sports as a symbol of harmony and unity.
This year is different because of the ongoing events in Gaza and South Lebanon, as the OMT Beirut Marathon stands with the martyrs in deep sorrow. May Khalil, the association’s President, stressed that the race must take place as running is a way to feel alive, especially during these tough times. She also aims to convey one simple message: “This is Lebanon,” a country that remains strong despite hardship.
The event should not be overlooked as it has many positive effects on Lebanese society. In fact, the Beirut Marathon has generated $18.5 million over the years and has created hundreds of job opportunities which have helped combat the ills that affect the community.
The marathon, which received prestigious international recognitions in recent years (2010, 2015, 2016), winning bronze and silver classifications by the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF), has also contributed to Lebanon’s prominent position on the international sports map.
Paula Radcliffe, holder of many international race records, stated, “I would like to send my best wishes to all participants in the Beirut Marathon 2023. I have always admired it because of the determination and perseverance of the organizers and the warm family atmosphere it provides to the participants.”
As this year has the potential of breaking participant records, it is worth noting the progress the Beirut Marathon has made throughout the years. In 2003, 6,000 people participated in the race, a figure which jumped to 50,000 runners in 2018, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Throughout the years, the marathon has welcomed many international runners from Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Iraq and Jordan. Many of them were world renowned professionals such as Haile Gebreselassie (Ethiopia), Paul Terget and Tegla Loroupe (Kenya), Edwin Moses (USA) and of course Paula Radcliffe (UK). 600 runners will also be participating virtually from 105 countries.
On the Lebanese side, we should expect to see many professional runners such as Bilal Awada, Tony Hanna, Nada al-Jisr and Katia Rashid.
In an interview with Nada Jisr who finished 3rd in last year’s edition, she mentioned that she started running during her years in university and has been training for marathons in 2002-2003. She claims running makes her feel more alive and is an activity that helps boost self-confidence, and is also as she called it, a form of “therapy.”
It’s the sixth time that Jisr will be competing in the race. She has always maintained the same training program that she starts 3 months before the marathon. She mentioned that her unofficial personal record is 3h07min, a record she aims to match or even beat on Sunday.
Last year’s winners were Saleh Zeaiter and Sherine Njeim. This Is Beirut asked Roger Bejjani, President of the Inter Lebanon group, one of the most important athletic clubs in Lebanon, about his prediction for this year’s race. He stated that many runners have the capabilities to take the title, but four stand out in the men’s section: Tony Hanna (Let’s Run), Saleh Zeaiter (Inter Lebanon), Bilal Awada and Zaher Zein El Dine (the Army). In the women’s section, Bejjani anticipates a tight competition between Nada Jisr (Inter Lebanon) and Katia Rashid (Let’s Run), as Sherine Njeim, last year’s winner, will not be participating this time.
He highlighted that this year will be tough to predict because Tiana AbdulMassih, Pia Nehmeh and Nadia Dagher won’t run this Sunday, even though they all have personal records under 3 hours. Roger Bejjani also insisted on the potential of Mahmoud Abou Zeid (Inter Lebanon), a runner who could win the 10KM race despite being only 15 years old. Indeed, it is worth keeping these names in mind as Bejjani rarely fails to spot a winner.
Foreign runners are also expected to make an appearance, as they arrived in Beirut on November 9. The team consists of 9 Ethiopians and Kenyans (5 men, 4 women), including Gudisa Tafa Dikiba (personal record 2h15min) and Moluyo Ambe (personal record 2h28min). Consequently, these runners will undoubtedly not make the competition any easier.
21 years after its inception, the Beirut Marathon seems to only grow in popularity despite the ongoing challenges in Lebanon. In a context where the safety of the Lebanese people is being threatened, May Khalil will still be looking to unite them under one flag, one race.
This initiative will never fail to amaze amateur and professional runners, because even after all this time since May Khalil’s accident, she seems to always be driven by the same resilience and motivation, in the shape of the Beirut Marathon.
