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| Baghdad Hosts a ‘Marathon’ and Celebrates a Victory | Baghdad Hosts a ‘Marathon’ and Celebrates a Victory |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| BAGHDAD — Naji Abdulamir used to run all over Baghdad but preferred the farmlands along the banks of the Tigris. Karim Aboud once ran for Saddam Hussein and has the gold watch and the newspaper clippings to prove it. Falih Naji ran for Iraq at a competition in India in 1982, and recalled, “There was no higher honor than representing your country.” | BAGHDAD — Naji Abdulamir used to run all over Baghdad but preferred the farmlands along the banks of the Tigris. Karim Aboud once ran for Saddam Hussein and has the gold watch and the newspaper clippings to prove it. Falih Naji ran for Iraq at a competition in India in 1982, and recalled, “There was no higher honor than representing your country.” |
| The three men — now, in their 60s, the elder statesmen of Iraq’s tiny running community — were awash in memories last week ahead of the Baghdad International Marathon, the first one in as long as anyone could remember. | The three men — now, in their 60s, the elder statesmen of Iraq’s tiny running community — were awash in memories last week ahead of the Baghdad International Marathon, the first one in as long as anyone could remember. |
| In fact, the race was not a marathon at all. Rather than the standard 26.2 miles, Baghdad’s version was a road race that allowed participants their choice of a lesser distance: two, four, eight or 10 kilometers. | In fact, the race was not a marathon at all. Rather than the standard 26.2 miles, Baghdad’s version was a road race that allowed participants their choice of a lesser distance: two, four, eight or 10 kilometers. |
| That mattered little. | That mattered little. |
| “I feel like a kid on Eid,” said Mr. Abdulamir, a running coach and former star of the Iraqi national team. | “I feel like a kid on Eid,” said Mr. Abdulamir, a running coach and former star of the Iraqi national team. |
| Mr. Naji said the race, held Friday, was “a start of something, after a very long time.” | Mr. Naji said the race, held Friday, was “a start of something, after a very long time.” |
| “We used to have organized competitions like this in the 1970s,” he said. “I’m very happy. It’s a dream.” | “We used to have organized competitions like this in the 1970s,” he said. “I’m very happy. It’s a dream.” |
| The 1970s and early 1980s still exert a powerful pull on Iraqis of Mr. Naji’s age. High oil prices were fueling a construction boom, the Baath Party had yet to show the full scope of its cruelty, and it was before wars and sanctions hollowed out Iraqi society. Then, Iraq was oriented toward the Arab world; Iran was not the patron and ally it is today, but rather an avowed enemy. | The 1970s and early 1980s still exert a powerful pull on Iraqis of Mr. Naji’s age. High oil prices were fueling a construction boom, the Baath Party had yet to show the full scope of its cruelty, and it was before wars and sanctions hollowed out Iraqi society. Then, Iraq was oriented toward the Arab world; Iran was not the patron and ally it is today, but rather an avowed enemy. |
| All of this was felt through the arena of athletics. “There was a time when Iraq was like the master of Arab countries in sports,” said Maitham Taher, the spokesman for the Baghdad race. | All of this was felt through the arena of athletics. “There was a time when Iraq was like the master of Arab countries in sports,” said Maitham Taher, the spokesman for the Baghdad race. |
| For the government, the run was partly an exercise in image-building for the city. It was a way to portray Baghdad as safe and pleasant, even though it faces frequent attacks by the Islamic State and suffers at the hands of ascendant Shiite militias that are controlled by Iran and blamed for a rise in kidnappings and gangland-style killings. | For the government, the run was partly an exercise in image-building for the city. It was a way to portray Baghdad as safe and pleasant, even though it faces frequent attacks by the Islamic State and suffers at the hands of ascendant Shiite militias that are controlled by Iran and blamed for a rise in kidnappings and gangland-style killings. |
| The racecourse was symbolic enough: a strip of the airport road, the expressway once known as the “highway of death” and a grim symbol of the United States’ inability to control a growing insurgency. | The racecourse was symbolic enough: a strip of the airport road, the expressway once known as the “highway of death” and a grim symbol of the United States’ inability to control a growing insurgency. |
| Organizers said that most of the nearly 2,000 participants who signed up were Iraqis, but there were 32 runners who flew in from eight countries, dressed in track suits of their nations’ colors: Morocco, Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia, Somalia, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. Most arrived the night before the race, and hit the treadmill at the hotel and carbo-loaded on rice and pasta to prepare. | Organizers said that most of the nearly 2,000 participants who signed up were Iraqis, but there were 32 runners who flew in from eight countries, dressed in track suits of their nations’ colors: Morocco, Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia, Somalia, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. Most arrived the night before the race, and hit the treadmill at the hotel and carbo-loaded on rice and pasta to prepare. |
| Mohammed Hussein, the head of the Egyptian delegation, said that despite the violence gripping the country and the fact that a third of Iraq was in the hands of Islamic State extremists, “I came to deliver an important message: that Iraq is a stable country.” | Mohammed Hussein, the head of the Egyptian delegation, said that despite the violence gripping the country and the fact that a third of Iraq was in the hands of Islamic State extremists, “I came to deliver an important message: that Iraq is a stable country.” |
| “I took a regular bus from the airport. I went for a walk last night without security. It was normal,” he said. | “I took a regular bus from the airport. I went for a walk last night without security. It was normal,” he said. |
| Traveling from one war-torn country to another, Mohammed Dhaifallah, the coach of the two young Yemeni runners who participated, said: “We were very concerned. We were concerned about security. But we felt O.K. after seeing the streets filled with people and cars.” | Traveling from one war-torn country to another, Mohammed Dhaifallah, the coach of the two young Yemeni runners who participated, said: “We were very concerned. We were concerned about security. But we felt O.K. after seeing the streets filled with people and cars.” |
| The day before the race, Mr. Aboud was excitedly delving back into the old days, showing off vintage press clippings and photographs. There were races in Bahrain and Algeria, and he proudly recalled winning a 10,000-meter race put on by the military in 1986 in Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, which has for more than a year and a half been under Islamic State control. “Once, Saddam came to watch a race,” he said, and he smiled as he recalled shaking the dictator’s hand. | The day before the race, Mr. Aboud was excitedly delving back into the old days, showing off vintage press clippings and photographs. There were races in Bahrain and Algeria, and he proudly recalled winning a 10,000-meter race put on by the military in 1986 in Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, which has for more than a year and a half been under Islamic State control. “Once, Saddam came to watch a race,” he said, and he smiled as he recalled shaking the dictator’s hand. |
| Riding the bus on the way to the race, Bashar Hamadi, a 30-year-old Syrian who moved from Hasaka to Damascus in recent years as a brutal civil war convulsed his country, said to a reporter, before a conversation had even started, “I don’t want to talk about politics, only running.” | Riding the bus on the way to the race, Bashar Hamadi, a 30-year-old Syrian who moved from Hasaka to Damascus in recent years as a brutal civil war convulsed his country, said to a reporter, before a conversation had even started, “I don’t want to talk about politics, only running.” |
| He explained his love of the sport: “Whenever I run, I think big dreams.” | He explained his love of the sport: “Whenever I run, I think big dreams.” |
| The weather on race day was picture-perfect, like a New England fall day: brilliant sunshine, a chilly bite to the air. As the runners gathered at the start, the master of ceremonies praised the security forces, the militias and the revered Shiite martyr Imam Hussein, proclaiming: “Baghdad is victorious. Baghdad is the city of peace.” | The weather on race day was picture-perfect, like a New England fall day: brilliant sunshine, a chilly bite to the air. As the runners gathered at the start, the master of ceremonies praised the security forces, the militias and the revered Shiite martyr Imam Hussein, proclaiming: “Baghdad is victorious. Baghdad is the city of peace.” |
| There were chants for the popular militia leaders Hadi al-Ameri and Qais al-Khazali. There was a sea of color, too – the pinks, oranges, yellows and blues of the official race T-shirt – and men in track suits and women in head scarves. Everyone received a medal. | There were chants for the popular militia leaders Hadi al-Ameri and Qais al-Khazali. There was a sea of color, too – the pinks, oranges, yellows and blues of the official race T-shirt – and men in track suits and women in head scarves. Everyone received a medal. |
| One of the racers was Thamir Khazal, a soldier two weeks off the front lines in Anbar Province. He stood at the starting line and smoked a cigarette, and said that running “keeps my health in good standing.” | One of the racers was Thamir Khazal, a soldier two weeks off the front lines in Anbar Province. He stood at the starting line and smoked a cigarette, and said that running “keeps my health in good standing.” |
| A cigarette, he said, is a better pre-race pick-me-up than an energy drink. | A cigarette, he said, is a better pre-race pick-me-up than an energy drink. |
| Thrilled to be part of it all was Talib al-Safar, the president of the Iraqi athletic federation, who raced the hurdles for Iraq in the 1970s. | Thrilled to be part of it all was Talib al-Safar, the president of the Iraqi athletic federation, who raced the hurdles for Iraq in the 1970s. |
| “Baghdad is a great city,” he said. “We owe everything to Baghdad. We had to do something special for Baghdad.” | |
| He added, confidently: “Next year will be a half-marathon. And maybe in the future we will have a full marathon.” | He added, confidently: “Next year will be a half-marathon. And maybe in the future we will have a full marathon.” |