542 SEASON 11 STARTS A WHOLE NEW JOURNEY
More than 4,000 runners started with a question: Can I do this? And finished with proof that they could. Are you next?
542 is the Beirut Marathon Association’s free, community-led training program- built not for athletes, but for anyone who has ever considered a marathon and talked themselves out of it. Since 2014 it has been the structure, the coaching and the community that turns hesitation into a finish line. Season 11 offers three distances, certified coaches, and a five- month journey shared with a team that started exactly where you are.
What is 542?
542 is a five-month training program for the Beirut International Marathon on 29 November 2026. Free of charge, structured, and run by volunteer coaches who have completed the journey and returned to guide others through it.
Most people who quit a training program do not quit because their body failed them. They quit because they trained alone, without a plan, without accountability, and without the knowledge that turns effort into result. 542 removes all three of those barriers. What you get is not a plan sent to your inbox, it is a coach that knows your name, a team that expects you on Sunday mornings, and a community that has been through every difficult week you are about to have, and came out the other side.
Three Distances. One Community.
This season offers three structured tracks, each coached, each community-led, each ending at the same finish line
| 42KM |
Starts July 19
Five months of a full marathon preparation. For first timers and returning runners who want a structured, coached build to 42.195KM |
| 21KM |
Starts July 19
Coached technique refinement, endurance optimization, and race strategy for the 21KM distance. Guided by coaches who know every KM of the Beirut course |
| 10KM |
Starts September 27 / Registration Opens in August
A two-month coached program. The fastest entry point for anyone new to the 542 community |
Important Dates
- 16 July 2026: 542 Launch Event
- 19 July 2026: 1 st Welcome run- 42 & 21KM Program begins
- August 2026: 10KM Registration opens
- 27 September 2026: 10KM Training Program begins
- 29 November 2026: Beirut International Marathon Race Day
The Commitment Fee
542 is free. A $25 commitment deposit is payable on registration, it’s a signal to your coaches, your team and yourself that you intend to show up. In return, it gives you a full year of 542 membership and everything that the program includes.
What’s Included:
- ✓ One Year 542 Membership with access to all 542 facilities, activities and discounts on all BMA races from July 2026 to July 2027
- ✓ 542 Training shirt
- ✓ Water stations every Sunday throughout the 5-month program
- ✓ In person coaching with a certified volunteer coach, morning or evening, in your area
- ✓ Expert seminars on nutrition, injury prevention, mental fitness and race strategy
- ✓ Community events: game nights, regional runs, group activities
- ✓ Professional photography at every Sunday run
- ✓ Technical pre-race briefing, dedicated WhatsApp support
- ✓ Discounted rates on physiotherapy, F&B, nutrition and retail throughout the program
- ✓ Prize money on race day for the top 3 male and female 542 Finishers