GAZA, December 8, 2011 (WAFA) – The United Nations Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA, invited runners from around the world to join 2000 children, including children with special needs, for the 2012 Gaza Marathon on March 1, 2012, Thursday said a press release by UNRWA.
It said the Marathon, being held for the second year, raises money for UNRWA’s Summer Games. The Games provide a safe place for 250,000 children in Gaza to play, make friends and express themselves freely; an experience that sadly is unique for children growing up in the blockaded territory.
UNRWA relies upon the generosity of its donors to carry out Summer Games. The 2011 Marathon raised over US$ 1 million for Summer Games and the Agency hopes to raise even more from the 2012 Marathon.
The tiny Gaza Strip, surrounded by Israel, Egypt, and the Mediterranean, is 42km long, exactly the length of an official marathon. Along the north-south route from Beit Hanoun to Rafah, nearly 2,000 children will run relays, while adults, from professional Gazan athletes training for the Olympics to amateur runners, will run the full marathon.
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