Beirut Marathon for Peace

In the aftermath of the 2006 July War, despite devastation and political upheaval, the Beirut Marathon Association chose not to cancel their November marathon, but rather to hold it as a testament to the resilience of the Lebanese people. But just five days before the race, a government minister, Pierre Gemayel, was assassinated. After much deliberation they again decided not to cancel, but to postpone the race by one week. Then, just two days before the new marathon date, Hezbollah called for a rally to overthrow the existing government. There was concern that the demonstration might make the Lebanese fearful of coming out for the marathon, but instead there were even more participants than expected. The event took place with 22,000 people, in solidarity, running or walking the 5km, 10km and 42km races with "For the Love of Lebanon" as the theme. And of course...a Kenyan won. 

To find out more about the Beirut Marathon film, click here.