Palestine marathon kicks off after 2-year pause due to Gaza war

The 10th edition of the Palestine International Marathon kicked off Friday in the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, alongside a parallel race in the Gaza Strip, after a two-year hiatus due to Israel’s war on Gaza.

The full 42.195-kilometer marathon began at 6 am local time (0300GMT).

Thousands of Palestinian and international runners gathered outside the Church of the Nativity in central Bethlehem, the starting point for the race.

Marathon coordinator Itidal Abdul Ghani told Anadolu that this year’s edition calls for "the unity of the homeland."

A separate 5-kilometer marathon was also held in central Gaza from Wadi Gaza Bridge northward, she said.

The organizers also held a virtual marathon in several countries between April 17 and 21, with more than 5,000 participants from 88 countries.

The number of participants exceeded 13,000, including 2,523 runners in Gaza and around 1,000 foreign participants from 75 countries, Ghani said.

The marathon includes races of 42.195 kilometers, 21 kilometers, and 10 kilometers, in addition to a 5-kilometer family race.

The event is organized by the Palestinian Higher Council for Youth and Sports, the Palestinian Olympic Committee, and the Bethlehem Municipality.

The marathon’s return this year comes amid ongoing Israeli ceasefire violations in Gaza and escalating violence in the occupied West Bank since October 2023.

According to Palestinian figures, at least 1,155 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 11,750 injured in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war, alongside about 22,000 arrests.

In Gaza, more than 72,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 172,000 injured during Israel’s genocide, according to Palestinian authorities.

*Writing by Rania Abushamala in Istanbul