A Race Recap From the Palestine Marathon
On Friday May 8, 23 Free to Run participants from across the West Bank traveled to Bethlehem with our partners at Palestine Sports for Life, to take part in a range of distances at the 2026 Palestine Marathon event.
For many, it was their first time participating in a race. Some ran 5km, others completed 10km or even the half marathon. Together, they trained for months in Ramallah and Hebron, navigating challenges like restrictions to their movement, constant fear and anxiety, and all kinds of uncertainty about whether they'd actually be able to show up at the start line.
Our Free to Run program in the West Bank started in 2023 - the same year this iteration of the war with Israel began. Since that time, Palestinians in the West Bank have faced severe economic hardship, growing settler violence, intensified movement restrictions, and a sharp escalation in deadly military raids.
For those from Ramallah, this journey to the race in Bethlehem meant crossing multiple checkpoints, including the Container checkpoint, a major crossing point in the West Bank that can close without warning. On race day, their bus was stopped and searched twice, coming to and from the race. The delays and searches caused stress and uncertainty before the race had even begun. Still, the girls continued on together.
For participants from Hebron, training itself can be unpredictable. Closures, raids, and restrictions on movement regularly disrupt access to public spaces and sports facilities for young women. This creates an added psychological pressure of training in an environment where routes can suddenly become unsafe.
But despite these challenges, the atmosphere in Bethlehem on race day was charged with excitement.
““After the race we got to walk around and see Bethlehem and through the event we got to meet new people, which was so much fun.” ”
““I feel proud that I won a medal for completing the 10km. It’s my first time trying something like this, it was so much fun and really exciting. This was my first race and definitely won’t be my last. As long as you are enthusiastic about something and want to reach your goal, you will.” ”
For some runners, simply reaching the finish line was the achievement.
““It was a difficult experience for me because it was my first time participating, hopefully next time it will be easier, but still I had so much fun. Running the marathon took a lot of resilience and determination but I am really glad that I got to finish the race.””
Participants supported one another throughout the day, celebrating each finish, each medal, and each personal milestone. Some gave it their absolute best as they tried for a PR, while others took a slower pace, opting to enjoy the atmosphere. Tala, one of the 10km participants, said she took longer to finish because she was busy talking to people and making new friends along the way.
Across every distance, this was an unforgettable experience for Team Free to Run in Palestine. Thank you to everyone who has helped Free to Run create opportunities like these for girls and young women across the West Bank and beyond.