Like the entire Lebanese sporting movement, the OMT Beirut Marathon has been affected by the ongoing war in Lebanon that has reached the heart of the capital. Originally scheduled for Nov. 10, the iconic race announced its postponement on Oct. 1, just a week after Israel launched a significant offensive against Lebanon, following a year-long attrition war with Hezbollah.

Founded in 2002 by May Khalil, the Beirut Marathon Association (BMA) was preparing for the 18th edition of this event, which has become a staple of the Lebanese sporting calendar. The BMA had already canceled the races in 2019 and 2020 due to the popular uprising movement in Oct. 2019 and the COVID-19 pandemic the following year. The organization has continually had to adapt to ongoing security challenges in Lebanon, including last year, when it faced similar issues a month after the onset of the Gaza war and Hezbollah's initiation of its “support front” for Gaza in southern Lebanon.

100% of proceeds go to displaced persons at al-Mustaqbal school

The current situation is prompting organizers to become increasingly innovative in their efforts to allow as many participants as possible. “In response to the war in Gaza, we are organizing a virtual race alongside the one in Beirut, enabling anyone to take part from anywhere in the world,” explained BMA Director Soraya Barbir.

She has decided to extend this feature to the 2024 edition of the OMT Beirut Marathon, which is certified with a "silver label" by World Athletics, the international athletics federation. “Participants can choose to run the full marathon (42.195 km), the half-marathon (21 km), or the 10 km or 5 km races,” she added.

To this end, the BMA has created an online registration form. Runners can select their preferred distance and complete the race on a date that suits them between Nov. 8 and 30 for a single fee of $50.

“We’ll send you a medal, a race shirt, and a bib number via DHL, at no extra charge,” the registration site read. “100% of the proceeds from registrations will go directly to our relief fund to support our humanitarian efforts in the field,” said Barbir.

In the wake of Israeli military escalation, a vast spontaneous solidarity movement has emerged to assist the approximately 800,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) who remain in Lebanon, out of a total of 1.3 million people who fled their homes to escape Israeli bombardments. Many have found refuge in public schools that have opened their doors, including the al-Mustaqbal school in the Basta neighborhood of west Beirut, which was struck by Israel on Oct. 2.

Since Sept. 24, the BMA has overseen the school, detailing its charitable actions on social media.

Group departures in Paris and Lyon

“Thanks to this initiative, we have supported more than 86 families — 412 beneficiaries in total — providing essential assistance such as food, access to drinking water, hygiene, medical care, shelter and emergency accommodation supplies,” read the latest press release from the BMA.

Since announcing the virtual marathon, more than 200 people from 10 countries have registered. Among them, a runners’ association from Cairo, along with groups in Los Angeles and Montreal, have called for participants to join the movement.

In France, local communities from the “542” collective are mobilizing to organize group starts in the streets of Paris and Lyon. “The idea is to virtually connect runners from around the globe to unite all those who wish to support Lebanon. If we could have at least one runner from each country, that would be wonderful,” Barbir expressed hopefully.