This is the Story of 542er Mohamad Mawas. In his own words, Mawas explains the challenges he faced on the run, his short-lived running career and his reason to take on the marathon challenge and  the commitment  to 5 months of training for the gruesome distance with 542 coach Mustafa Ahmed.

YOUNG HUMAN, OLD RUNNER

My name is Mohamad Mawas. I’m a young human yet an old runner. See, ever since the launch of the Beirut marathon back in 2003 I never failed to participate. Whether it was a 5 kilometer race or 10 kilometer fun run, I just never missed that day. In 2008 I took things a bit more seriously  and decided to do a better time in the 10k race and so I did. Ever since that day I discovered a passion for this sport that I knew nothing about. Since 2008, I started putting on my running shoes every few days at 6 am and simply hit the road. Sunday runs where the most special ones as they became a ritual no matter how hard Saturday night was.  I started hitting the track, doing laps, intervals, and basically started sprinting. I loved the speed, the explosiveness, it simply felt great. After one month of going to the track, I was spotted by one of the Lebanese track and field clubs where I was asked if I was training with a club. Days later I was admitted to that club and was assigned to a coach. So, that was my life basically everyday.  I used to finish school, head to the sports city stadium, have my sandwich, do my homework, and begin training.

CHALLENGES AHEAD

The season kicked off, I started racing every month, not missing any track event or road race. I was a mid-distance runner. I was acceptable on the 200m, 1500m, and 5k distances. As years passed by, I faced the injury of my life unfortunately. I was diagnosed with an intestinal bowl syndrome which lead to severe blood loss and internal inflammation. It was the worst thing that could happen to me yet. I lost weight badly, gained again in water due to medication, but mainly I lost my form. Although I was, in my mind, ready for a comeback, I failed. The symptoms reoccurred. I lost blood again, and had internal damages. Sadly, I had to say goodbye to my running career. I was let off by the team as I am no longer of use in providing results. Track and field was no longer my escape so I went back to road running . Unfortunately again, this time my lungs were hit with an inflammation and suddenly I became asthmatic. I was banned from sports and mainly running for at least a year. I never listened, I went back a month later to the track and fell from jogging the first lap. I came back the second day did 2 laps, and fell again. This continued for a few months until I decided to register for a race at my own health expense without informing my coach. Race day came, February the 23^rd 2012. I invited all my friends as I needed all the support I can get. The race started, it was all going well. I was able to maintain second place until the last 400m stretch were my body pulled me back till I collapsed at the finish line finishing in 6^th. I woke up minutes later to find myself surrounded by 8 of my friends cheering me on. I did not win the race of course, but I won myself back. My coach saw me after the race and told me great job, yet I should keep it easy. Summer came by and I maintained a regular easy training on my own.

LAU was next. During the fall of 2013, I went to the director of the athletics office and asked whether they have track team or not. He said no so I told him I’ll make one. Weeks passed by and I kept my word. I gathered up 5 students and a staff member and registered us for the Beirut marathon 42k relay race. We trained a couple of times and took part. We received 4^th place in our category clocking 3 hours 36 minutes which wasn’t so bad for a group of first timers. Although the team wasn’t official, we did manage to grab some attention. The team grew month after month until we were 10 students in total. Our first win was in the Naqoura 2014 10k race were one of our runners managed to win 1^st in his category and that’s how it started. We never missed a podium in a road race or track event after that until now. I was put as the captain/coach of my team in LAU and the success continued.

NOTHING CAN HOLD ME BACK

We grew year by year winning 2^nd place in the Beirut marathon 2014 42k relay category clocking 3 hours 9 minutes. The team now is of 20 members and always in training. In the summer of 2015 my medical condition relapsed but this time my kidney got hit. I was hospitalized for a week and literally had no chance of getting back on the road. Yet of course, I didn’t listen and went back to running a month later aiming for a first place in the Beirut marathon 42k relay. November came and I was determined as ever. We won 1^st place clocking 2 hours 54 minutes taking on the time record for our category. It was beautiful. My body got used to this pace and I just couldn’t stop running. We had an excellent season that year and some excellent runners too.

In the 2016 Beirut marathon relay we managed to win 1^st place again clocking 2 hours 50 minutes beating our own time record! And later on the 2016-2017 season, we didn’t miss a 1^st place podium in all local races. I wasn’t theone winning, it was the team. Beautiful individual efforts. So here we are in summer of 2017 preparing for the 2017-2018 season starting with the Beirut marathon in November 12. I joined the 542 team and challenged myself to run the full marathon on my own not in a relay, but alone. It’s hard I have to admit that. I push myself in training as if it were a race.

WHY A MARATHON?

So why a marathon? You see, all my life I’ve been living up to expectations. To limits beyond my capabilities. I always felt the need to perform more, to give more, and to show more even if it was on the expense of myself. For instance, I’m expected to run the full marathon on my own this November, and not only that, I’m expected to run it well. Looking back at my medical history, let’s just hope I finish it and that’s what I’m aiming for knowing that I probably could push harder. I’m running for myself this November, I’m running to show myself that I can simply do it. Passion, love, support, conflicts, and desire, this is what sports is all about, it’s a life package. I’m running to show my mother that I’m strong enough to be on my own physically, I’m running because it’s the only thing that never lets me down in my life despite the ups and downs, I’m running because I’m in love, in love with a never ending run because the road will eventually finish. I’m running because the Beirut marathon grew in me since I was a kid. I’m running because I know that without this sport in my life I wouldn’t have been where I am today.

I’m running because I want to be able to tell myself and say that I am a marathoner and not just a runner.