General Haykal at the Army’s Second Race: “Our Ties with Civilians Are Deep-Rooted and Unwavering—They Are Our Source of Strength”

Under the patronage and in the presence of Army Commander-in-Chief General Rodolph Haykal and his wife, the Army’s second race was held this morning in Beirut, featuring 10-kilometre and 5-kilometre races and attracting approximately 3,500 runners.

Also in attendance were Minister of Youth and Sports Nora Bayrakdarian, Beirut Governor Judge Marwan Abboud, President of the Lebanese Athletics Federation Roland Saadeh, President of the Beirut Marathon Association May El Khalil, and a number of other dignitaries.

General Haykal said: “Our relationship with civilians is longstanding and deeply rooted, and has never been weak at any point. We draw our strength from them. The Army is present alongside every home across the country’s various regions and along the borders.”

He added: “The Army continues to carry out its missions at all times, both along the borders and within the country, to combat terrorism, arms and drug trafficking, and smuggling. I call on citizens to support us and remain vigilant, as they are a source of our security. They must report any suspicious activity to the security services. We maintain a high level of security awareness as we work to steer Lebanon towards safety.”

The race brought together personnel from the Lebanese Army and other security agencies, members of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), runners representing various sports clubs and associations affiliated with the Lebanese Athletics Federation, as well as students from universities and schools. The event was supervised by the Higher Centre for Military Sport.

At the end of the race, the Army Commander-in-Chief presented awards to the winners and congratulated all participants.