“We want to keep the pulse going.” May El-Khalil, founder and president of the Beirut Marathon Association, tells HOME Magazine about their drive to proceed with the race this year despite the sad meltdown in Lebanon.
The International Beirut Marathon will take place Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021, with 5KM Charity Run taking place the day before, on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021.
Obstacles forced a two-year hiatus
After unparalleled success throughout its 16-year journey, BMA faced serious obstacles that led the association to postpone its annual race for two years in a row.
In 2019, Lebanon burst out in October after the piling up of fiascos, a failed state and corruption. The revolution started with the International Beirut Marathon only three weeks away. Despite all the efforts, preparations and investments made, BMA had to cancel the race. The team had no other choice but to return the money to sponsors and participants, call all the runners to share the news and postpone the race to the following year.
The Covid-19 outbreak in 2020 did not make things easier. The global pandemic invaded every corner of the world. El-Khalil explained, “The coronavirus outbreak was our last breath.”
Beirut witnessed a pause of the exceptional journey of Beirut Marathon and its immense social, economic, touristic and positive impact on the culture in Lebanon.
Normally, BMA would have expected over 4,000 foreigners to travel to Lebanon to run and around 50,000 runners to show up on race day. BMA built new bridges with the running scene worldwide and changed the running culture in Lebanon forever. BMA maintained the silver label accredited by the IAAF in 2014 and set an example for change.
The Beirut Marathon is back!
Although the BMA was forced to suspend all its operations during the past two years, in 2021 the team decided to take action again. They wanted to remain faithful to their mission. They felt that they had an obligation towards Beirut. BMA returns this year with a message of hope and perseverance that epitomizes Lebanese resilience.
“I felt restless after the blast,” El-Khalil tells HOME. “Feelings of anxiety and guilt were taking over; however, I did not want to victimize myself.”
This decision to pursue the mission was habitual to a woman of action and social change. Shortly after the Beirut blast, El-Khalil collaborated with the rest of the BMA team to bring a global virtual race to Lebanon, where they raised around $36,000 for the Lebanese Red Cross. They worked hard to keep the pulse going as the team dropped from 30 to 4 members. They didn’t want to lose hope, so they didn’t. They began hosting local virtual races. All the revenues went to local charities such as SESOBEL and Offre Joie. They felt compelled to participate in races and give back. They also arranged the women’s race, which was held on May 23, 2021.
This year, BMA runs for hope. Its main goal is to restore peace in the heart of the Lebanese. All proceeds will be given equally to eight NGOs: Beit el Baraka, a Lebanese NGO providing Lebanese families access to food, decent livelihood, medical services and education; Brave Heart, delivering financial assistance to needy children with congenital heart disease and helping cover their medical and surgical expenses; Children’s Cancer Center, a regional center pioneering in the treatment of children with cancer; IDRAAC, the first nonprofit organization dedicated to mental health in Lebanon and the Arab World; Live Love Lebanon, spreading positivity during national turmoil and sharing the message of hope, social and environmental responsibility through youth; Lebanese Autism Society, striving to enhance the wellbeing of Individuals living with autism in Lebanon; Teach a Child, a nonprofit organization providing access to education for underprivileged students across Lebanon by covering all the expenses related to their education and Neonate Fund, delivering financial assistance to families with newborns in need of specialized medical care at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at American University of Beirut Medical Center.
The Global virtual run
The Global Virtual Run of Beirut International Marathon takes place this weekend Run with us to keep the pulse going.
1-Keep the pulse going from where you are. Take part in this exceptional experience and run for a cause from anywhere in the world.
2-Run alone or celebrate this journey with your loved ones
3-Choose your date and location. You can either run Nov. 12, 13 or 14, 2021.
4-Choose your distance, whether it’s 5KM, 8KM or 21KM, your participation is what counts the most.
5-Have your marathon package delivered to your doorstep: you can either run with the tee-shirt on or receive it afterwards.
6-For serious runners, time yourself on Strava via Haku or run at your own pace.
8-Register today on https://events.hakuapp.com/beirut-marathon.
An invitation to the diaspora
This is an appeal to the friends of Lebanon to send a message of love to Beirut.
This is an appeal to the Lebanese diaspora to reunite with your HOMEland, despite the distance. This is your chance to run for hope, for your children, for your loved ones in Lebanon, for your friends and most importantly, for your country, your HOME. Even if you are thousands of miles away, you have the opportunity to inspire change.
Spread hope in Lebanon by registering today. Remember that 100% of the proceeds will go to the eight partnered NGOs.
So, warm up, put on your running shoes, and let’s run. Let’s all run for dignity. Let’s all run for wellbeing. Let’s all run for hope. Let’s all run for Beirut.
