Overall winners Omar Issa and Nesrine Njeim Leene

The best runners of Lebanon, except Hussein Awadah (1), Maria Pia Nehme (2) and Marie el Amm (3), representing the running clubs of Inter-Lebanon Road Running & Athletics Club, Veterans, Ansar, Antonins, Lebanese Army, ISF, General Security, State Security, and Lebanese Customs, met on the morning of 14 March 2010 at the start line of the annual ISF half-marathon.

The race was organized by the Inter-Lebanon Club under the patronage of General Ashraf Rifi, on Hamra Street in front of the Central Bank.

This 21.1 K half-marathon was eagerly awaited by the ISF Mobile Forces Headquarters barracks at Al-Fohoud in Dbayeh.

The overall winner in the men’s category was Omar Issa of the Lebanese Army in 1:08:44 and in the women’s category Nesrine Njeim Leene of the Inter-Lebanon Club in 1:30:59. Nesrine, like Gloria Nasr (Inter-Lebanon) and Mona Tamim (Veterans), lives in Europe and came all the way to Lebanon especially to participate in this annual half-marathon.

Her Excellency the British Ambassador Frances Guy also participated in the race and registered a time of 1:35:31 coming 3rd women’s overall and first in her age category.

(1) Hussein Awadah, the national marathon men’s record holder, is training in Ethiopia in preparation for the Zurich marathon in April 2010.
(2) Maria Pia Nehme, national marathon women’s record holder, is training in Boulder Colorado in preparation for the Hamburg marathon in April 2010.
(3) Marie El Amm is still recovering from her injury.