BEIRUT: Prime Minister Saad Hariri was just one of some 28,000 people who took the streets Sunday to take part in the eighth annual Beirut Marathon.

Ethiopian Mohammad Tamem won his second Beirut Marathon in succession, coming home in 2:16:43 ahead of compatriot Abere Chane who led for much of the race before the 20-year-old made his overtake with only 3 kilometers to spare to take gold.

Fans lined every street and crammed into the marathon nerve center in the Beirut International Exhibition and Leisure center, cheering every runner that passed by whether it was a politician, an Olympic athlete or a man dressed as a rhinoceros. But the biggest cheer was reserved for Hussein Awada, who broke the Lebanese national marathon record by five seconds on home soil with a time of 2:20:31.

A soldier by day, Awada was presented with a one-off check for $25,000 donated by a sponsor as his qualification process for London 2012 continues.

Ethiopians also dominated the women’s run, with Etaferahu Tarekegn and Mihiret Anamo coming in first and second respectively in the scorching sun.

Other events included baby and mum’s 1 kilometer race, Lebanese youth elite athlete’s 3 kilometer and a series of competitions for disabled athletes.