Running Away: Beirut  The Posh Cityscape  July 12, 2007  Neither
war, nor political assassinations nor protests deter runners in
Beirut, Lebanon. Quite the posh cityscape, Beirut is home to a
thriving running community. Runners come from all of the 17
Christian and Muslim sects that populate the country, two-thirds
the size of New Jersey.  During the past two years, Lebanon has
endured a string of political assassinations, a brutal war
between Hezbollah and Israel, and ongoing protests against the
government that sometimes erupt into violence. The combination
has shattered 15 years of relative peace, but not the
determination of the Lebanese. Running, along with the legendary
Beirut nightlife, provides a sense of normalcy and a statement
that Beirutis will not be deterred from their freedoms.  Nowhere
was this more apparent than among the 40,000 runners who turned
out for a 5K race in 2005 to protest the assassination of "Mr.
Lebanon," Rafiq Hariri, the former prime minister.  "The run was
about a population