NNA - Beirut Marathon Association announced the participation of 12,000 male and female runners representing 60 foreign and Arab countries in the Beirut International Marathon that was held today at Beirut Waterfront, under the slogan "I am Beirut".
The arrangements for the race were supervised by the Association’s work team, including its President May Al-Khalil, and about 400 young men and women and more than 1,500 volunteers.
Official figures also attended the event, including Governor of Beirut, Judge Marwan Abboud; Marathon’s Guest, Member of the International Olympic Committee, Moroccan Olympic Runner Nawal Al-Mutawakil; President of the Lebanese Olympic Committee Pierre Jalakh; President of the Board of Directors and Editor-in-Chief of “Al-Nahar” Newspaper Nayla Tueni; Chairman of the Board of Directors of the OMT Foundation (event’s official sponsor) Hikmat Abu Zeid; UNIFIL Commander General Aroldo Lazaro; Head of the Athletics Federation Roland Saadeh; Commander of the High Center for Military Sports Colonel Mikhael Moussa; Bar Association Head Nader Kaspar; Father Youssef Nasr; Vice President of the Lebanese American University for Special Projects Saad El-Zein; Head of the Emergency Services Section at the Red Cross Rosie Boulos, and Head of the Tyre Branch Muzain Seklawi Ajami.
Representatives of charities, sports clubs and media institutions were also present, led by Dean of Lebanese Sports Journalists, Youssef Berjawi.
In a technical reading of the race, the marathon record for a distance of 42,195 kilometers was not enhanced in comparison to the men’s 2:10:41 hours recorded by Ethiopian Dominic Roto in 2017 and Moroccan Mohammed Al-Arabi in 2018, and for women, to the Bahraini Eunice Shumba’s record of 2:28:38 38 hours registered in 2017.
In today’s marathon of 42,195 Km for foreigners, Ethiopian runner Metko Dekiba came in first place for men with a record of 2:14:21 hours, while Ethiopian Mologu Ambe came in first place for women with a record of 2:28:57 hours.
As for the 42,195 Km race for Lebanese men and women, Saleh Zeaiter came in first with a record of 2:37:57 hours, while Sherine Njeim came in first for women with a record of 3:44:02 hours.
=========R.Sh.
