NNA - Lebanese Olympic Runner Sherine Njeim won the women's race for the second year in a row, which was held today under the headline, "Your Way Your Decision", an event organized by the Beirut Marathon Association in cooperation with the Lebanese Athletics Federation at the Beirut waterfront area.
The activity included running for three distances, the first at seven o’clock in the morning with the half-marathon race of 21 km for women and men, and at seven o’clock with the competitive 10 km race for women only, and at nine o’clock the 5 km race open to all groups of different ages, dedicated to a cause in coordination with 7 charities.
Runner Njeim failed to enhance her record in last year's race when she recorded 35:24 minutes, in comparison to today’s record of 36:39 minutes.
Her runner-up, Joan Mkary, was third last year while this year she finished the race in second place.
In the semi-marathon of 21 km, women's sprinter Liwa Zaarour came in first, while in the men's race came in Imad Jezzini.
President of the Beirut Marathon Association, May El-Khalil, the Vice-President and Secretary-General of the Lebanese Olympic Committee, retired Brigadier General Hassan Rustom, and Secretary & Media Advisor Hassan Muhieddine, welcomed the official and sports figures at the event.
President of the Lebanese Olympic Committee, Pierre Jalkh, and Head of the Athletics Federation Roland Saadeh were also present alongside a number of heads of sports federations and clubs, as well as the Spanish Commander of the UNIFIL peace-forces operating in southern Lebanon, General Aroldo Lazaro, heading a delegation of soldiers who participated in the half-marathon, and a number of foreign ambassadors and diplomats.
Also partaking in the event was the Head of the National Commission for Lebanese Women’s Affairs, Claudine Aoun, who ran the 5 km race; Lebanese American University Vice President Saad El-Zein, at the head of a delegation from the LAU Medical Center which spread out on the race tracks; Head of the Emergency and Ambulance Service at the Lebanese Red Cross Rosie Boulos, at the head of a delegation of young volunteers to ensure the safety of runners. The Society's Ambassador in America Thomas Abraham also attended alongside representatives of social organizations, charities, and local, Arab and foreign media outlets.
A ceremony was held at the end of the event during which appreciation shields were distributed to first-place winners by official and sports figures.
============R.Sh.
