Twice a year the Beirut Marathon Association arranges marathon races within Beirut. The races are not only intended for those capable of completing a marathon or half marathon, but more like a small festival where everyone can participate - children, youth and older, and also those using wheelchairs or are disabled in other ways.
Sunday morning April 26 offered pleasant, sunny weather but still not too hot for running. The Earth Race could offer participants to run/walk either 1,5 km, 5 km or the 21 km. The most popular was the 5 km, where hundreds of participants walked or ran. The roads on the course were closed for traffic during the race, giving the contestants a different experience and view of parts of the city.
In stead of medals, all participants got three seeds as a reward when finishing, with encouragement to plant them in order to cope with deforestation – just in line with the race’s slogan Run for nature, run for life.
To read more about marathons in Lebanon, check out http://www.beirutmarathon.org
Ambassador Aud Lise Norheim togheter with the four from the Norwegian CIMIC-team, after completing the half marathon.