Beirut – LEBANON

 

It was Sunday dawn, at 5:45 AM, October 10th, when the eighty four participants and a handful of volunteers gathered around the Bible Society Center in Bouchrieh for a very special day! The excitement of the hour was mounting as they went through the final preparation stages - wearing the race number, tying the electronic chip that keeps the individual time to the shoe lace, stretching the legs and backs... It was the Beirut International Marathon day, and they were Running for Bibles as part of the Year of the Bible 2004  Campaign.

 

Within the hour, 14 of the 84 participants, children and teenagers aged 11-17, were about to start their 5-K Mini-Marathon run. Off they went as the remaining took their position for the 10-K Fun Run and the 42.2-K Marathon. The red T-shirts were brightly shining in the morning Beirut sun, just as all the faces of this dedicated group. At 7:15 AM, the President of the Lebanese Republic, General Emile Lahoud, fired the start gun. And off they went!

 There were 12,000 runners that morning, each running for a reason. This team was Running for Bibles, and that meant a lot to them and to the many who were watching them. Some finished the race in 30 minutes; others in more than six hours; it was an exciting time for all of them, and they are all ready to do it again next year. What was impressive about this year's Marathon was the excellent organization and the media coverage. The red Running for Bibles T-shirts and caps were visible and quite attractive to the cameras. The most important thing was that all 84 participants completed their respective runs and made it safely back home. Three televisions took interviews with the various Bible runners: Tele-Lumiere, SAT-7, and Spirit Channel. This gave many the opportunity to explain why they were Running for Bibles. The more important part was how they behaved during the race; they were a joyful group, being good Christian witnesses.

 Thank you for praying for them and for sponsoring their run. The funds that were raised so far is very promising. Thank you for helping us help others.