Beirut – The city of Beirut on Sunday hosted a marathon for peace aimed at showing the world that Lebanon is hopeful that last week’s election of a new president will bring much-awaited stability in the capital. The Beirut Marathon Association (BMA) and the Italian-inspired Vivicitta movement staged two events Sunday: an international half- marathon and a five-kilometre Run for Peace.
The half-marathon was sponsored by banking roup HSBC and featured Ethiopian favourites Dereje Tadesse Girma in the men’s race and Mare Dibaba in the women’s race.
The course took the athletes on a tour of east and west Beirut, along the famous Corniche, passing along the ‘green line’ that once separated the two sides of a warring nation.
The events finished in the iconic reconstructed downtown centre of bustling and modern Beirut.
BMA President May el-Khalil said the “HSBC Vivicitta Run for Peace is unique and its timing perfect in celebrating a new peace in Lebanon, and in sending out a message of hope through sports for all Lebanese.”
Beirut streets were lined with soldiers and armoured vehicles as the Lebanese army and police deployed en masse to assure security for the event on Sunday.
The marathon, with the slogan “Run for peace,” kicked off under a flurry of balloons and some runners wearing Red Cross T-shirts bearing the word “peace.”
A festive atmosphere prevailed, despite the high security, with some joggers running hand-in-hand with children along the route and street performers exchanging banter with soldiers.
More than 20,000 people had registered for the two races that were won by two young people from Ethiopia.
The election of former army commander Michel Suleiman as president on May 25 gave Lebanese hope that the country will head towards stability.
Suleiman called for unity in Lebanon after he was sworn in to replace Emile Lahoud whose post had stood vacant for six months amid political disputes, a boycott by the opposition and 19 failed attempts at convening a parliamentary session to elect a president.
The country passed through a difficult month in May, when six days of clashes between Hezbollah, which leads the opposition, and followers of parliament’s majority claimed 82 lives. Hezbollah managed to take control of large parts of Beirut in the fighting.
Lebanese had feared that a civil war similar to the 1975-90 civil war would erupt. But on May 21, rival political leaders managed to broker a deal to end the violence and elect a president at an Arab League meeting in Doha, Qatar.
Middle East World News