Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Bern, SANA – The Syrian runners Jamal Hilal and Imad Barakat participated in two marathon events in the Alps Mountains in Switzerland, at an altitude of 3000 meters above sea level.
Hilal won the third place in the 12 km race, while Barakat was ranked 19th in the 70 km ultra distance event, in which 400 runners took part.
Both runners carried the Syrian flag from the beginning of the races till the end, when they finally held it high over the highest peaks of the Swiss Alps Mountains.
The runner Barakat left Syria 17 years ago, and despite the fact that he holds the Slovak nationality, he insists on representing his homeland in international marathons and raises the Syrian flag in all events.
M. al-Frieh/H. Said