Gaza Marathon
This article needs to be updated.(April 2022) |
Gaza Marathon | |
---|---|
Date | May |
Location | Gaza Strip, Palestine |
Event type | Road |
Distance | Marathon |
Established | 2011 |
Course records | Men: 2:42:47 (2011) Nader al-Masri Women: 4:45:00 (2011) Gemma Connell |
The Gaza Marathon (
The event was held for the first time on May 5, 2011, attracting more than 1,500 participants.[2]
In 2012, Gaza held the first international marathon.[citation needed]
In 2013 the marathon was scheduled for April 10, but was cancelled following "the decision by the authorities in Gaza not to allow women to participate".[3]
Course and conditions
The course spans the entire Gaza Strip, from
The course is mostly flat but conditions in May tend to be very hot.[5] There are no road closures, and in addition to potholes, runners have to negotiate traffic, including donkey carts and vans.[2][4]
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.[1] 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."[2]
2011 race
The race started at sunrise, 6 a.m. on May 5, when the temperature had already reached 21 °C (70 °F).[2]
About fifty runners started the course, with just nine runners completing the full distance.[6] Of these, seven were Palestinian athletes training for the next year's Olympics.[6] Six more ran the half marathon, and 150 runners from the Gaza Athletics Federation joined for the last stretch of 8 kilometers (5.0 mi). More than 1,000 schoolchildren took part in relays of between 1 kilometer (0.62 mi) and 4 kilometers (2.5 mi),[6] and a group of around 100 women participated in a 10 kilometers (6.2 mi) walk.[citation needed]
The winner, with a time of 2:42:47, was
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.[5]
References
- ^ a b AFP (May 5, 2011). "Olympic athlete wins Gaza's first-ever marathon". Asia One. Archived from the original on May 17, 2012. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g Urquhart, Conal (May 5, 2011). "Gaza stages its first marathon". The Guardian. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
- ^ UNRWA (March 5, 2013). "UNRWA cancels 2013 Gaza Marathon". UNWRA. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
- ^ a b Ward, Hazel (May 5, 2011). "Olympic athlete wins Gaza's first-ever marathon". Yahoo!. Retrieved May 7, 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b DPA (May 5, 2011). "Palestinians set off for Gaza's first ever marathon". Haaretz. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
- ^ a b c d Barzak, Ibrahim (May 6, 2011). "Palestinian runners, aid workers in Gaza sprint in territory's first marathon". The Canadian Press. Retrieved May 7, 2011.