Ruptly
"The 10th edition of the Palestine International Marathon kicked off in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Friday under the slogan "We Run for Freedom", following a hiatus of nearly three years due to the war that erupted in Gaza in 2023. Footage shows runners gathering at the starting line and performing warm-up exercises before setting off through the city’s streets. Marathon organiser Murad Shamroukh said this year’s edition was launched in coordination with the Gaza Strip to deliver a message of Palestinian unity. “Our slogan is simple: freedom of movement. Today's marathon launch was coordinated with the Gaza Strip to send a message to the whole world: despite the barriers, the wall and the separation, we are one people, one community and one government," he said. Samer al-Joulani, who won first place, described the marathon as a "dream" that represents the Palestinian story and cause, adding, “This is more than just a marathon; it is a story and a cause for the Palestinian people.” Second place went to runner Muhammad Tawfiq al-Assi, a former prisoner, who said running is "in his blood". “I don't run just for myself, but for my family too. After being detained in Israeli prisons for 32 months, I spent six months training. During that time, I lost my fitness, but I managed to regain it with the help of several people,” he noted. According to the Palestinian News and Information Agency (WAFA), the race began at Manger Square and continued towards the town of Al-Khader before returning to the square. The agency explained that the route is repeated twice in the full marathon, covering a distance of 42.195 kilometres, because there is no continuous Palestinian road of that length free of checkpoints or barriers. War broke out in Gaza on October 7, 2023, after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing 1,139 people, most of them Israeli civilians, and taking more than 200 hostages. In response, Israel launched a large-scale military campaign in the Gaza Strip, including airstrikes and a ground offensive, which had killed 72,826 Palestinians and injured 172,520 others as of the time of publication."
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