May El Khalil is the Founder and President of the Beirut Marathon Association, which oversees the annual Beirut Marathon and has been held every autumn since 2003. It was accredited by the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) in 2009. In 2014, the race attracted over 38,000 runners from 104 countries.
Born in Aley, Lebanon, May El Khalil spent much of her adult life in Nigeria following her marriage to business man Faysal El Khalil. In Nigeria, she established the Lebanese Ladies in Nigeria, a non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting educational development by way of grants and scholarships. [1]
In 2001, after El Khalil had returned to Lebanon, she suffered a near-fatal accident that placed her in a coma. She spent two years undergoing dozens of surgeries that enabled her to walk again and inspired her to found the Beirut marathon.
In the aftermath of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri's assassination in February 2005, the Beirut Marathon Association organized the “United We Run” race that attracted 60,000 runners.
El Khalil has been recognized for her work nationally and internationally; she has received the AIPS Power of Sport Award in Lausanne, and the Laureus World Sports Academy Lifetime achievement award in Abu Dhabi. [2] She has been decorated by Lebanese President Michel Suleiman with the National Order of the Cedar, and has been granted appreciation awards from the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism, The Brazil-Lebanon Chamber of Commerce, and the Lebanese Ministry of Youth and Sport. El Khalil was also a Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International for 2010 and 2011. In 2013 she was presented with an honorary Ph.D. from LAU (the Lebanese American University). [3] In 2014 she was honoring by YWCA Lebanon on March 8 ( international Women's day ),
El Khalil spoke at the TED global conference in Edinburgh Scotland in 2013. In 2014, she was invited as a speaker at the European Innovation Convention on March 10. She was also invited by SEAL foundation as guest of Honor for their annual gala Dinner in New York. The Lebanese Franchise Association has chosen El Khalil to be one of the four recipients of the “ Appreciation Award”. On July 22, 2014, she received the Fair Play and peace award by the Premio Fair Play Mecenate committee in Arezzo, Italy.
El Khalil has four children and four grandchildren. Faysal M. El-Khalil is presently the Chairman of the Seven-Up Bottling Company based in Nigeria, Tanzania, Ghana and Kenya. Her brother in law is H.E. Anwar M. El-Khalil, a member of the Lebanese Parliament since 1992.
Tyre is a city in Lebanon, one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world, though in medieval times for some centuries by just a small population. It was one of the earliest Phoenician metropolises and the legendary birthplace of Europa, her brothers Cadmus and Phoenix, as well as Carthage's founder Dido (Elissa). The city has many ancient sites, including the Tyre Hippodrome, and was added as a whole to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1984. The historian Ernest Renan noted that "One can call Tyre a city of ruins, built out of ruins".
Football is the most popular sport in Lebanon. It was introduced to Lebanon in the late-19th century, becoming particularly popular among teachers and students Christian schools. The Lebanese Football Association (LFA) was formed in 1933 as one of the earliest administrative bodies for association football in the Middle East. The Lebanon national team made its unofficial debut in 1935 against Romanian club CA Timișoara (T.A.C.), while their first official FIFA game was in 1940 against Mandatory Palestine.
The culture of Lebanon and the Lebanese people emerged from various civilizations over thousands of years. It was home to the Phoenicians and was subsequently conquered and occupied by the Assyrians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Persians, the Arabs, the Crusaders, the Ottoman Turks and the French. This variety is reflected in Lebanon's diverse population, composed of different religious groups, and features in the country's festivals, literature, artifacts, cuisine and architecture of Lebanon. Tourism in Lebanon is popular with periods of interruption during conflict.
The Lebanese American University is a secular private American university in Lebanon. It is chartered by the board of regents of the University of the State of New York and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). It has two campuses and offers 58 degrees.
The Beirut Central District is the historical and geographical core of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. Also called downtown Beirut, it has been described the “vibrant financial, commercial, and administrative hub of the country.” It is thousands of years old, traditionally a focus of business, finance, culture and leisure.
Safa Sporting Club is a football club based in Wata El Msaytbeh, a district in Beirut, Lebanon, that competes in the Lebanese Premier League. Founded in 1939, they won three league titles, three domestic cups, one Super Cup, and two Elite Cups; they have also reached the 2008 AFC Cup final.
The National Order of the Cedar is the highest state order of Lebanon, established on 31 December 1936. It is offered in five grades.
The Beirut Marathon, is an annual event that takes place in Beirut, Lebanon, first held in 2003. It is a founding member of Asian Premier Marathons, and was accredited as a Silver Label Road Race by the IAAF.
Because of Lebanon's unique geography, both summer and winter sports thrive in the country. In fact, during autumn and spring it is sometimes possible to engage in both activities on the same day; for example, skiing in the morning and swimming in the afternoon.
Zena El Khalil is a Lebanese artist, writer, and activist.
Anwar M. El-Khalil is a Druze Lebanese politician and former member of the Lebanese Parliament representing the Marjeyoun-Hasbaya district.
Toufoula is a Lebanese voluntary health organization dedicated to improve the quality of life of children suffering from cancer and blood diseases by designing and creating a unique and colorful environments aimed at offering a safe haven throughout their treatment. Toufoula was co-founded in 2006 by a group of young volunteers in Beirut, Lebanon.
Mounira Solh was a pioneer advocate for the rights of women and people with disabilities in Lebanon. She was one of the first women in Lebanon and the Middle East to run for parliament. She ran for a seat in the Parliament of Lebanon in 1960, 1964 and 1968. She was also a humanitarian with decades of volunteer and charity work.
Rania Zaghir is a Lebanese writer and publisher of Arabic children books, several of which have been translated.
The Laureus Sport for Good Award is an award honouring the achievements of those who have demonstrated "tremendous contribution to sport or to society through sport". It was first awarded in 2000 as one of the inaugural awards presented during the Laureus World Sports Awards. The awards are presented by the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, a global organisation involved in more than 150 charity projects supporting 500,000 young people. The first ceremony was held on 25 May 2000 in Monte Carlo, at which Nelson Mandela gave the keynote speech. The recipient is presented with a Laureus statuette, created by Cartier, at an annual awards ceremony held in various locations around the world. Although the Laureus Awards ceremony is held annually, the Sport for Good Award is not necessarily presented every time; it is one of a number of discretionary awards that can be given by the Laureus World Sports Academy.
Salim Georges Sfeir is a Lebanese – Swiss banker and financier. He is the chairman and Chief Executive of Bank of Beirut S.A.L in Beirut, Lebanon since 1993 and the chairman of Association of Banks in Lebanon since June 29, 2019.
Karen Boustany, known professionally as Karen R. Boustany, is a Lebanese international Media Personality, Author, Businesswoman, Director & Producer.
Everitte Barbee is an American Arabic Calligrapher known for works that incorporate religious, literary and pop culture messages. His works juxtapose traditional Arabic scripts with modern imagery to convey strong political messages. All of his works currently incorporate the Diwani Jali script.
Nazek Abou Alwan Abed was a Lebanese educator, lecturer, and writer of journalistic and philosophical articles and books. She was born in Barouk into a Lebanese family and was best known for her books about enlightenment, humanity, ethics and society. Abed believed in a life of purpose, where peace and harmony should prevail over, and where a person's relationships are at the essence of their success and happiness. Nazek Abed was a living icon of "Leading by Example" whether in her professional or personal life. She was known for her great deal of wisdom and as a reference within her community.
Maha al-Khalil Chalabi – Arabic: مهى الخليل الشلبي, also transliterated Shalabi – is Secretary-General of the International Association to Save Tyre and has been a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador as "a strong advocate for heritage". Oscillating between the high-societies of Beirut and Paris, the heiress of a feudal dynasty in Southern Lebanon has been hailed by the yellow press as the "Princess of Tyre".
