RAMALLAH, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The Palestine Marathon returned to the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem on Friday after being suspended during the Gaza war, attracting thousands of local and international runners.

According to Palestine's official news agency WAFA, the event included a full marathon, a half marathon, a 10-kilometer race and a 5-kilometer family run.

The race began at Manger Square in central Bethlehem and passed by separation walls and refugee camps, WAFA reported.

In the Gaza Strip, a separate 5-kilometer race was also held, stretching from Gaza City to Deir al-Balah in the central part of the enclave.

Organizers said more than 13,000 runners took part across all events, including 2,523 participants in Gaza and around 1,000 international runners from 75 countries and regions, according to WAFA. ■