Every day Masri, a 28-year-old father of three from Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip, jogs past bombed-out buildings and houses riddled with bullet holes, and alongside fields regularly pounded by Israeli missiles aimed at militants.
Beijing Olympic torch lit amid protests
Children shout "Run, Nader run" and adults wave to him as he trudges along his training route.
"Rockets and raids affect my training," Masri told Reuters, wearing blue running shorts and a matching T-shirt. "I cannot train at home -- I am a long-distance runner."
Masri is planning to run in the 5,000 meters. His personal best time is 14 minutes 25 seconds, almost two minutes slower than Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele's world record of 12:37.35, but Masri believes he can improve by 40 seconds.
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