| Beirut Marathon | |
|---|---|
| Date | November |
| Location | Beirut, Lebanon |
| Event type | Road |
| Distance | Marathon |
| Primary sponsor | Aquafina |
| Established | 2003 |
| Course records | Men: 2:10:34 (2023)  Gaddisa DekebaWomen: 2:27:48 (2023) Mulugojam Ambi |
| Official site | Beirut Marathon |
| Participants | 48,605 (all races) (2018)[1] 565 finishers (marathon) (2015)[2] |
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The Beirut Marathon, is an annual event that takes place in Beirut, Lebanon, first held in 2003. It is a founding member of Asian Premier Marathons, and was accredited as a Silver Label Road Race by the IAAF.[citation needed]
The marathons are managed by the Beirut Marathon Association, a non-profit non-governmental organization registered under the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Lebanon.[3] It is sponsored by the BLOM Bank.[4]
History
[edit]The race, created by businesswoman May El-Khalil, has the theme of unity at its core.[5]
The first marathon was held on October 19, 2003 and attracted over 6,000 runners from 49 countries, and tens of thousands of Lebanese and international spectators.[6]
The 2010 edition of the men's race was won by the pacemaker Mohamed Temam. Hussein Awadah broke the Lebanese record at the race that year, completing the distance in at a time of 2:20:31.[7]
In 2011, the course was altered to make it faster and easier to organise and the men's and women's record were both improved that year; Seada Kedir knocked over five minutes off the women's best time.[8]
The 2019 edition of the race was cancelled due to anti-government protests, with all registrants given the option of transferring their entry to 2020 or obtaining a refund.[9]
The 2020 edition of the race was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, with all who had transferred their entry from 2019 given the option of obtaining a refund.[10]
Other activities
[edit]Beirut Marathon Association also organizes their annual marathon village which was sponsored by Transmed in 2017.[citation needed]
Community impact
[edit]The race reaches out to all sides of the political spectrum in Lebanon.[5] The day's events also include a 3 km race for MPs of any political allegiance, as well as members of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon stationed in the country.[5]
Winners
[edit]Key: Course record (in bold)
| Ed. | Date | Male Winner | Time[a] | Female Winner | Time[a] | Rf. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 October 2003 |  Paul Rugut (KEN)
|
2:17:04 | Jackline Torori (KEN)
|
2:42:29 | |
| 2 | 10 October 2004 | Eshetu Bekele (ETH)
|
2:17:31 | Anastasia Ndereba (KEN)
|
2:36:46 | |
| 3 | 13 November 2005 | Francis Kamau (KEN)
|
2:19:20 | Jane Omoro (KEN)
|
2:42:19 | |
| 4 | 3 December 2006 | Moses Kemboi (KEN)
|
2:17:28 | Eunice Korir (KEN)
|
2:49:25 | |
| 5 | 18 November 2007 | Tamrat Elanso (ETH)
|
2:19:46 | Beyene Adenech (ETH)
|
2:41:24 | |
| 6 | 30 November 2008 | Alemayehu Shumye (ETH)
|
2:12:47 | Alemtsehay Hailu (ETH)
|
2:37:20 | |
| 7 | 6 December 2009 | Mohammed Temam (ETH)
|
2:16:12 | Mihret Tadesse (ETH)
|
2:42:41 | |
| 8 | 7 November 2010 | Mohammed Temam (ETH)
|
2:16:43 | Etaferahu Tarekegne (ETH)
|
2:41:15 | |
| 9 | 27 November 2011 | Tariku Jufar (ETH)
|
2:11:14 | Seada Kedir (ETH)
|
2:31:38 | |
| 10 | 11 November 2012 | Kedir Fekadu (ETH)
|
2:12:57 | Seada Kedir (ETH)
|
2:35:08 | |
| 11 | 10 November 2013 | William Kipsang (KEN)
|
2:13:34 | Rehima Kedir (ETH)
|
2:36:47 | |
| 12 | 9 November 2014 | Fikadu Girma (ETH)
|
2:12:26 | Mulahabt Tsega (ETH)
|
2:29:15 | |
| 13 | 8 November 2015 | Jackson Limo (KEN)
|
2:11:04 |  Kaltoum Bouaasayriya (MAR)
|
2:36:05 | |
| 14 | 13 November 2016 | Edwin Kiptoo (KEN)
|
2:13:19 | Tigist Girma (ETH)
|
2:32:48 | |
| 15 | 12 November 2017 | Dominic Ruto (KEN)
|
2:10:42 |  Eunice Chumba (BHR)
|
2:28:38 | |
| 16 | 11 November 2018 | Mohamed El Aaraby (MAR)
|
2:10:41 | Medina Armino (ETH)
|
2:29:31 | [11] |
| — | 10 November 2019 | cancelled due to anti-government protests | [9] | |||
| — | 8 November 2020 | cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic | [9][10] | |||
| 17 | 14 November 2021 |  Toni Hanna (LBN)
|
2:33:03 | Chirine Njeim (LBN)
|
3:00:18 | |
| 18 | 13 November 2022 | Mitku Dekeba (ETH)
|
2:14:21 | Mulugojam Ambi (ETH)
|
2:28:57 | |
| 19 | 12 November 2023 | Gaddisa Dekeba (ETH)
|
2:10:34 | Mulugojam Ambi (ETH)
|
2:27:48 | |
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Beirut Marathon Association". Archived from the original on 7 October 2020.
- ^ "Rita Wehbeh's Race Results". Archived from the original on 29 October 2020.
- ^ "About BMA - Marathon". Archived from the original on 2013-12-22. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
- ^ Brune, Adrian (February 25, 2017). "Racing to Rebuild the Middle East". Foreign Affairs. Retrieved February 26, 2017. – via Foreign Affairs (subscription required)
- ^ a b c Butcher, Pat (2010-11-05). Ethiopians the favourites as Beirut's unifying Marathon celebrates its eighth edition. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-11-07.
- ^ El-Khalil, May (16 August 2013). "Transcript of "Making peace is a marathon"". www.ted.com.
- ^ Butcher, Pat (2010-11-07). Pacemaker Teman hangs on to win in Beirut. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-11-07.
- ^ Course records fall in Beirut. IAAF (2011-11-27). Retrieved on 2011-11-27.
- ^ a b c Official announcement accessed on 28th January 2020
- ^ a b "Beirut Marathon on Instagram: "Friends, with a very heavy heart we inform you that the Beirut Marathon Association has suspended all its activities until further notice…"". www.instagram.com. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
- ^ "Road round-up: Chepngetich storms through 2:19 barrier in Istanbul, Course records for el Aaraby in Beirut and Masai at Hefei | REPORT | World Athletics". Archived from the original on 2020-09-15.