Thousands run Palestine Marathon under shadow of Israel’s war on Gaza

play Live Sign upShow navigation menu.css-15ru6p1{font-size:inherit;font-weight:normal;}Navigation menuNewsShow more news sectionsAfricaAsiaUS & CanadaLatin AmericaEuropeAsia PacificMiddle EastExplainedOpinionSportVideoMoreShow more sectionsFeaturesEconomyHuman RightsClimate CrisisInvestigationsInteractivesIn PicturesScience & TechnologyPodcastsTravelplay Live Click here to searchsearchSign upNavigation menucaret-leftIsrael-Palestine conflictGaza six months into ‘ceasefire’‘This is an apartheid regime’Could the EU’s alliance with Israel change?History of flotilla campaigns‘Tears and grief’: Mother’s Day in Gazacaret-rightIn Pictures Marathon draws 13,000 runners globally to amplify unity and resilience amidst escalating violence in Gaza and West Bank. xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoHundreds of Palestinians and foreign runners in Manager Square at the start of the annual Palestine Marathon, in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian West Bank city of Bethlehem. [Hazem Bader/AFP]By AFP, Anadolu, AP and ReutersPublished On 8 May 20268 May 2026The tenth Palestine International Marathon has been run in the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, with a parallel race held in Gaza after a two-year hiatus caused by Israel’s war on the Strip. The 42km race began at 6am local time (03:00 GMT) on Friday, with thousands of Palestinian and international runners gathering at the traditional starting point, the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Marathon coordinator Itidal Abdul Ghani said this year’s race carries a message of “the unity of the homeland,” with runners on both sides of the Israeli separation regime taking part in simultaneous events. A separate 5km race was organised in central Gaza, running from Wadi Gaza Bridge northwards. Organisers also staged a virtual marathon in several countries between 17 and 21 April, attracting more than 5,000 participants from 88 countries. Overall, the number of runners exceeded 13,000, including 2,523 in Gaza and about 1,000 foreign participants from 75 countries. The event featured multiple categories, including the full marathon, a 21km half marathon, a 10km race and a 5km family run, allowing participation by professional athletes, amateurs and families. It is organised by the Palestinian Higher Council for Youth and Sports, the Palestinian Olympic Committee and Bethlehem Municipality. This year’s race was against the backdrop of continued Israeli attacks on Gaza despite a “ceasefire,” and a surge in violence across the occupied West Bank since October 2023. Palestinian officials say at least 1,155 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 11,750 wounded in the West Bank since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza, along with 22,000 arrests. In Gaza, at least 72,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 172,000 injured, according to local authorities. Running through Bethlehem’s streets and along routes hemmed in by checkpoints and the separation wall, many participants carried Palestinian flags or wore keffiyehs, framing the marathon as both a sporting event and an act of peaceful resistance and solidarity with Gaza. Show moreAbout UsCode of EthicsTerms and ConditionsEU/EEA Regulatory NoticePrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyCookie PreferencesAccessibility StatementSitemapWork for usConnectConnectShow moreContact UsUser Accounts HelpAdvertise with usStay ConnectedNewslettersChannel FinderTV SchedulePodcastsSubmit a TipPaid Partner ContentOur ChannelsOur ChannelsShow moreAl Jazeera ArabicAl Jazeera EnglishAl Jazeera Investigative UnitAl Jazeera MubasherAl Jazeera DocumentaryAl Jazeera BalkansAJ+Our NetworkOur NetworkShow moreAl Jazeera Centre for StudiesAl Jazeera Media InstituteLearn ArabicAl Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human RightsAl Jazeera ForumAl Jazeera Hotel PartnersFollow Al Jazeera English: