RAMALLAH, West Bank — Five years into its launch, the Palestine Marathon has been officially recognized by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) on Oct. 13. The move came after Etidal Abdelghani, the director general of the marathon, received an official certificate of recognition from the IAAF, in what has been deemed as an international sporting achievement.
Abdelghani told Al-Monitor that this recognition is the culmination of five years of continuous work aimed at organizing the marathon in line with international standards. The recognition came after Norrie Williamson, a representative of IAAF, visited Bethlehem on Sept. 22.