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Freedom marathon returns
The tenth Palestine International Marathon returned to Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank on Friday, running in parallel with a race in the Gaza Strip after a two-year pause due to the Israeli war, under the slogan “We Run for Freedom.”
“The event was held simultaneously with events in Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank under the slogan “We Run for Freedom,” after a two-year suspension due to the Israeli genocidal war on the strip”
Anadolu Ajansı said the full marathon distance of 42.195 kilometers began at 6:00 a.m. in front of the Church of the Nativity in downtown Bethlehem, with thousands of Palestinian and foreign runners participating.
The Gaza race ran from the Wadi Gaza Bridge toward the north for 5 kilometers, with Anadolu Ajansı describing participation of 2,523 runners in the Gaza Strip.
Anadolu Ajansı quoted marathon general coordinator I'tidal Abdul Ghani saying this year’s edition “is characterized by the unity of the homeland,” and said a virtual marathon ran in several countries between April 17 and 21, 2026.
The Egyptian Committee in Gaza sponsored the parallel Gaza event, with the 巴士的報 describing the Gaza race as the “Gaza Race” and placing the number of runners at 2,000.
Runners frame the message
In Bethlehem, Mohamad Al-Assi ran beneath the concrete wall as the sun rose, with the road along the barrier separating Israel from the occupied West Bank forming part of the marathon route.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation quoted Al-Assi saying, “The main difficulties we face are the cars on the roads and the presence of Israeli security forces along the route where I train,” and described how he had to suspend training several times because of military operations in the camp.
Al-Assi also said, “I would return home feeling hopeless because I couldn't do what I had intended to do,” linking his training interruptions to the conditions around Dheisheh.
In Gaza, the 巴士的報 said thousands of Palestinian and international runners took part to send a message of unity, strength, and determination, while Abdullah al-Arqan told the outlet, “No athlete should miss this event because it delivers a message of determination and resilience from the people.”
Donia Ismail from the Palestinian Ministry of Women's Affairs added that the simultaneous launches “unites the two parts of the homeland and sends a message to the world that Palestinians have the right to live in freedom and dignity,” according to the same report.
Restrictions and participation
Organizers said the West Bank race highlighted restrictions facing Palestinians, with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation noting that runners cannot complete a 42.2-kilometre course without hitting a checkpoint or military gate and that Friday’s route looped around the same circuit twice.
“Bethlehem / Qais Abu Samrah / Anadolu The Palestinian International Marathon kicked off its tenth edition on Friday in the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank, in parallel with a similar race in the Gaza Strip, under the slogan 'We Run for Freedom', after a two-year pause due to the Israeli war”
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation also quoted the marathon’s website saying, “runners literally hit the Wall,” tying the route’s barrier-adjacent course to movement limits.
In Gaza, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation described a beachside road in Nuseirat in central Gaza where 15 disabled people, including amputees, ran a 2K and “a couple thousand of people ran a 5K,” and said the women were back after UNRWA cancelled a 2013 marathon because Hamas forbade women from participating.
Anadolu Ajansı said the virtual marathon ran between April 17 and 21, 2026, with more than 5,000 participants from 88 countries, while also stating that the number of participants exceeded 13,000, including 2,523 participants in the Gaza Strip and about 1,000 foreign participants from 75 countries.
The marathon’s stated aim in the West Bank was to demand the right to movement and freedom, with Al Jazeera describing Palestinians running alongside the separation wall as a “political statement” in the occupied West Bank.
