UN agency cancels Gaza Marathon...

The first Marathon in Gaza was held in May 2011. After the success of the first year, it was held again in 2012 with even more people taking part. This year however, UNRWA...the United Nations Relief and Works Agency  which organises the Gaza marathon have cancelled the event, blaming the refusal of the territory's governing Hamas movement allow women to run.

Not your average Marathon

A spokesperson for Hamas said..."We regret this decision to cancel the marathon but we don't want men and women running together. We did not tell Unrwa to cancel the marathon and we haven't prevented it, but we laid down some conditions: We don't want women and men mixing in the same place."

The Palestinian territory is almost exactly marathon length from North to South. In previous years, Hamas had supported the race and provided security.