Gaza Marathon
Encyclopedia
The Gaza Marathon is a marathon
race in the Gaza Strip
organized by UNRWA
to raise funds for the UNWRA Summer Games program for children in Gaza. In addition to the full marathon race (42.195 km, 26 miles 385 yards), there is also a half-marathon race, and a 10 kilometres (6.21 mi) race. Children run stages of between 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) to 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) in relays over the whole marathon course.
The event was held for the first time on May 5, 2011, attracting more than 1,500 participants.
near the border with Israel
in the northeast to Rafah
, near the Egypt
ian border in the south. From Beit Hanoun the course runs west toward the Mediterranean coast, and then follows the coastal road southwest, parallel to the coast, before turning inland to Rafah. The route passes battered towns, refugee camps, the fishing harbor, the ruins of Yasser Arafat
's former presidential compound, and the shells of other buildings hit in Israeli air strikes.
The course is mostly flat but conditions in May tend to be very hot. There are no road closures, and in addition to potholes, runners have to negotiate traffic, including donkey carts and vans.
The organizers work with the local security authorities, currently run by the Hamas
government, to ensure the runners' safety and also have to consider local sensitivities regarding male and female athletes running side-by-side. Following the inaugural race in 2011, UNWRA spokesman Chris Gunness said, "The Israeli authorities have kept many things out of Gaza but we are trying to make sure that the one thing that can get through the blockade is fun. The marathon definitely achieved that not just for the competitors but for the thousands and thousands of onlookers who applauded every runner."
About fifty runners started the course, with just nine runners completing the full distance. Of these, seven were Palestinian athletes training for next year's Olympics. Six more ran the half marathon
, and 150 runners from the Gaza Athletics Federation joined for the last stretch of 8 kilometres (5 mi). More than 1,000 schoolchildren took part in relays of between 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) and 4 kilometres (2.5 mi), and a group of around 100 women participated in a 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) walk.
The winner, with a time of 2:42:47, was Nader al-Masri
, who competed for Palestine
at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the 5,000-meter
race, and who is training for the 2012 Olympics
in London. There were two international participants, both of them UNRWA employees running a marathon for the first time. One of them, Gemma Connell, was the only woman who ran the entire race. She finished with a time of 4 hours and forty-five minutes.
UNRWA organized the event as a fund-raiser for its Summer Games for Gaza school children. The goal was to raise one million US dollars for the Summer Games; UNRWA said the goal was exceeded.
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
race in the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
organized by UNRWA
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East is a relief and human development agency, providing education, health care, social services and emergency aid to 5 million Palestine refugees living in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, as well as in the West Bank and the Gaza...
to raise funds for the UNWRA Summer Games program for children in Gaza. In addition to the full marathon race (42.195 km, 26 miles 385 yards), there is also a half-marathon race, and a 10 kilometres (6.21 mi) race. Children run stages of between 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) to 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) in relays over the whole marathon course.
The event was held for the first time on May 5, 2011, attracting more than 1,500 participants.
Course and conditions
The course spans the entire Gaza Strip, from Beit HanounBeit Hanoun
Beit Hanoun is a city on the north-east edge of the Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the town had a population of 32,187 in mid-year 2006. It is administered by the Palestinian Authority...
near the border with Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in the northeast to Rafah
Rafah
Rafah , also known as Rafiah, is a Palestinian city in the southern Gaza Strip. Located south of Gaza, Rafah's population of 71,003 is overwhelmingly made up of Palestinian refugees. Rafah camp and Tall as-Sultan form separate localities. Rafah is the district capital of the Rafah Governorate...
, near the Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian border in the south. From Beit Hanoun the course runs west toward the Mediterranean coast, and then follows the coastal road southwest, parallel to the coast, before turning inland to Rafah. The route passes battered towns, refugee camps, the fishing harbor, the ruins of Yasser Arafat
Yasser Arafat
Mohammed Yasser Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini , popularly known as Yasser Arafat or by his kunya Abu Ammar , was a Palestinian leader and a Laureate of the Nobel Prize. He was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization , President of the Palestinian National Authority...
's former presidential compound, and the shells of other buildings hit in Israeli air strikes.
The course is mostly flat but conditions in May tend to be very hot. There are no road closures, and in addition to potholes, runners have to negotiate traffic, including donkey carts and vans.
The organizers work with the local security authorities, currently run by the Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
government, to ensure the runners' safety and also have to consider local sensitivities regarding male and female athletes running side-by-side. Following the inaugural race in 2011, UNWRA spokesman Chris Gunness said, "The Israeli authorities have kept many things out of Gaza but we are trying to make sure that the one thing that can get through the blockade is fun. The marathon definitely achieved that not just for the competitors but for the thousands and thousands of onlookers who applauded every runner."
2011 race
The race started at sunrise, 6 a.m. on May 5, when the temperature had already reached 21 °C (69.8 °F).About fifty runners started the course, with just nine runners completing the full distance. Of these, seven were Palestinian athletes training for next year's Olympics. Six more ran the half marathon
Half marathon
A half marathon is a road running event of . It is half the distance of a marathon and usually run on roads. Participation in half marathons has grown steadily recently. One of the main reasons for this is that it is a challenging distance, but does not require the same level of training that a...
, and 150 runners from the Gaza Athletics Federation joined for the last stretch of 8 kilometres (5 mi). More than 1,000 schoolchildren took part in relays of between 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) and 4 kilometres (2.5 mi), and a group of around 100 women participated in a 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) walk.
The winner, with a time of 2:42:47, was Nader al-Masri
Nader al-Masri
Nader al-Masri is a Palestinian Olympic athlete from Beit Hanoun in the Gaza Strip. He participated in the 5,000-metre race at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. He was the only person from the Gaza Strip and one of the only four Palestinians who participated in the Olympics in 2008...
, who competed for Palestine
Palestine at the 2008 Summer Olympics
The Palestinian Olympic Committee sent a team to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. The Palestinian delegation consisted of two runners and two swimmers. - Athletics:- Swimming:...
at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the 5,000-meter
5000 metres
The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...
race, and who is training for the 2012 Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
in London. There were two international participants, both of them UNRWA employees running a marathon for the first time. One of them, Gemma Connell, was the only woman who ran the entire race. She finished with a time of 4 hours and forty-five minutes.
UNRWA organized the event as a fund-raiser for its Summer Games for Gaza school children. The goal was to raise one million US dollars for the Summer Games; UNRWA said the goal was exceeded.