Full Breakdown
Palestine Marathon Returns Amid Ongoing Restrictions in West Bank and Gaza
5/8/2026, 8:18:18 PM
Marathon Resumes in Bethlehem and Gaza
On Friday, the Palestine Marathon took place, with a 42-kilometre course looping twice around Bethlehem’s Manger Square and a parallel 5-kilometre race in Nuseirat, Gaza. The West Bank route passed through two refugee camps and a farming town divided by a concrete barrier, while Gaza’s event featured a 2-kilometre run for disabled participants and a mass 5-kilometre race.
Background: War, Checkpoints, and Administrative Detention
The event occurs against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war, heightened Israeli checkpoints, and expanding settlements that limit open land for recreation. Israeli authorities continue to use administrative detention, holding 3,000-4,000 Palestinians without charge, a practice that shaped the personal story of several participants.
Key Participants: Runner Mohamad Al-Assi and Gaza Runner Haya Alnaji
Mohamad Al-Assi, a 27-year-old from the Dheisheh refugee camp, was released after 32 months of administrative detention in April 2023. He resumed training in December, logging 62 miles in his first month and 135 miles by April. In Gaza, 22-year-old Haya Alnaji ran the 5-kilometre race, representing a renewed female presence after UNRWA cancelled a 2013 marathon over Hamas restrictions.
Data & Statistics
- Marathon distance: 42 km (looped twice)
- Gaza 5 km race participants: several thousand; 15 disabled runners completed a 2 km segment
- Al-Assi placed second overall in Bethlehem
- Administrative detainees: 3,000-4,000 (Israeli rights groups, Palestinian Prisoners Society)
- Al-Assi’s training mileage: 62 mi (first month), 135 mi (April)
Official Statements & Responses
Organizers emphasized that the race illustrates how checkpoints “literally hit the Wall” for Palestinian runners, underscoring daily mobility challenges. Israeli military, Shin Bet and Prison Service declined to comment on Al-Assi’s charges or the marathon’s logistics.
Criticism & Opposition
Human-rights observers note that settlement expansion and security barriers restrict routes for running, hiking and biking. Critics argue that administrative detention undermines athletes’ health, as Al-Assi reported severe muscle loss and emotional trauma after imprisonment.
On-the-Ground Reports
Spectators gathered near the Church of the Nativity, with bagpipes and drums at the start and finish. Al-Assi collapsed to his knees after crossing the line, thanked God, and dedicated his performance to detained Palestinians. Gaza’s streets echoed with chants celebrating sport.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The main difficulties we face are the cars on the roads and the presence of Israeli security forces along the route where I train,” — Mohamad Al-Assi
- “I would return home feeling hopeless because I couldn't do what I had intended to do,” — Mohamad Al-Assi
- “Marathon runners anywhere may ‘hit a wall’ under the physical and emotional strain of completing the 42-kilometer race course,” — Palestine Marathon organizers (website)
- “runners literally hit the Wall.” — Palestine Marathon organizers (website)
- “All of Gaza loves sports,” — Haya Alnaji, 22, Gaza
What’s Next
Organizers plan to hold the marathon annually, pending security clearances. International NGOs continue to monitor detention practices and advocate for expanded movement corridors, while Palestinian athletes prepare for upcoming regional competitions under the same restrictions.
