2008 Beirut International Marathon aims to promote awareness of cancer

On November 30, 2008, the starting signal will again sound to kick off a new edition of the yearly BLOM Beirut International Marathon.

The Beirut Marathon Association (BMA) announced Thursday evening at a news conference at the UNESCO palace that this year' s running event would be held under the slogan " With their strength we run."

Again, runners from across the world are invited to participate for a good cause in different categories of races.

This year' s charity event bears the motto of the fight against cancer. " In the last few years, people in the Lebanon Marathon have been running for unity. They have been running to restart the country, to prove they still exist," Mark Dickinson, managing director of BMA, told the The Daily Star, describing slogans used in marathon over the last few years.

" Now that there is some stability and unity in the country, we would like to release the human capital that has been built up over the last few years into something that touches human hearts," he added. " We want people to [understand] that cancer is a reality and encourage them to get treatment."
Like last year, when 17,000 runners from 54 countries took part in the different races, some stars will take part, too.

" Among this year' s stars, for example, is Richard Whitehead, an amputee," BMA head May al-Khalil told The Daily Star.

Also among the stars will be Edward Maalouf, who won two bronze medals for Lebanon in this year' s Paralympics.

" There will also be three runners from the African Massai tribe who run in their traditional headdresses," Khalil said.

Among the attendees will be the princess of Jordan and Lebanon' s first lady.

" My stars are the disabled, the handicapped, the guys in the wheelchair," Dickinson said. " They just give so much more than anyone else, because it is so much harder to get to the finish line," he added.

" All the people who have cancer or are handicapped have a lot of courage," Khalil said. " This is why we chose this slogan. We want people to recognize and support this courage."

But the Beirut Marathon is not just a race. With this event the BMA also created a platform for NGOs to promote their concerns.

" Braveheart, an NGO that supports children with heart problems, was able to raise $50,000 in last year' s event. Braveheart was able to raise this money which came straight from the runners," Khalil explained. This year, 12 NGOs are participating at the marathon.

Like last year, the running event is also dependent on the help of about 3,000-4,000 volunteers. " I am proud to be here," one of the volunteers told The Daily Star. Asked how much time he spends working for the event, he answered with a smile: " More than for my studies."

- The Daily Star