- 16:20
On the asphalt of Amsterdam, a stage for champions and record-breakers, Tony Hanna (Let’s Run) achieved a major feat: 2:19:46, a new national record, surpassing Hussein Awada’s mark of 2:20:31 set in 2010. At 40 years old, the Lebanese athlete conquered one of the fastest courses in the world and etched his name in capital letters.
A few days ago, in the heart of the 50th anniversary of the TCS Amsterdam Marathon — an event labeled “Platinum” by World Athletics — the Dutch capital once again became a clock factory. In a massive pack and at a blistering pace, Hanna ran his race, clean and consistent, to cross the line after a perfectly managed effort. Lebanese record ratified by World Athletics: the 2h20 barrier finally falls, fifteen years later.
Amsterdam, the highway of records
It is no coincidence that performance hunters converge on the Netherlands. The TCS Amsterdam Marathon checks all the boxes: elite field, flat course, mild weather, flawless organization. Once again this year, the race produced a very high-level time for the winners and a shower of personal bests in the pack. The pace was set very fast from the first kilometers.
The perfect day for a sharp quadragenarian
Born in 1985, a specialist in long distances (5 km, 10 km, half marathon, marathon) and reigning Lebanese champion, Hanna capitalized on months of meticulous preparation: volume, pace work, precise recovery. “I train every day, 7/7, without a break,” he repeats. His race: controlled start, half marathon split “tough but on target,” and the last 10 km fueled by pride to scrape those seconds that make History.
The symbol: turning the Awada page
The previous totem belonged to Hussein Awada since the 2010 Beirut Marathon. Fifteen years of waiting is long on the scale of a small athletics nation: this record had come to feel unreachable. By breaking it, Hanna opens a psychological breach for the entire Lebanese long-distance scene.
Let’s Run, the school of excellence
Behind the athlete, a very structured club: Let’s Run. Coaching, culture of meaningful mileage, team spirit — the Beirut-based team has supported the rise of its champion, under the leadership of its president Marie-Thérèse Saba. A “pro” model, Lebanese-style, proving that with modest means but clear ideas, one can aim true.
A performance that goes beyond the finish line
Sportingly, the mark now places the national record at a “sub-2h20” level, a strong reference for upcoming generations. In terms of media, it puts Lebanese athletics back on the map. Ideal strategy for 2026: target labeled races (Valencia, Seville, Hamburg, Rotterdam), consolidate aerobic base, and play the negative split on fast courses. Goal: stabilize under 2h20 and allow, in the medium term, for bolder dreams.
Match sheet
National record (Lebanon): 2:19:46 — Tony Hanna — Amsterdam, 19/10/2025.
Previous record: 2:20:31 — Hussein Awada — Beirut, 07/11/2010.
Event: TCS Amsterdam Marathon (World Athletics Platinum Label).
Word from the hero
“I am very happy to have broken this record at the TCS Amsterdam Marathon. It is the reward for daily work and the support of my family, Let’s Run, and my team ‘Team Tony’. Already looking ahead to 2026.”
Amsterdam gave him a time; he gives Lebanon back a belief.
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