May El Khalil is the Founder and President of the Beirut Marathon Association which oversees the annual Beirut Marathon, a race held every autumn since 2003 and accredited by the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) in 2009May El Khalil founded the Lebanese Ladies in Nigeria, a non-governmental organization dedicated to providing assistance to the underprivileged members of the Nigerian society and promoting educational development by way of grants and scholarships. In 2001, Mrs. El Khalil suffered a near-fatal accident that placed her in coma. However, armed with her strong will and love for life, and after dozens of surgeries, May walked again. In order to celebrate the gift of life and the newly found mobility, Mrs. El Khalil founded the international marathon in Lebanon to help mend the divisions in her mother country. She wanted to shift focus from what divides the Lebanese into embracing the common that joins them: their love for life and their commitment to friends and family. To date, May El Khalil has been recognized for her work nationally and internationally. She has received many awards among which are the AIPS Power of Sport Award in Lausanne, the Laureus World #Laureus Sport- Sports Academy Lifetime Achievement Award in Abu Dhabi, the Fair Play and Peace Award by the Premio Fair Play Mecenate committee in Arezzo, Italy, the Lebanese Franchise Appreciation Award, the National Order of the Cedar, an honorary Ph.D. from LAU, and many appreciation honors from the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism, the YMCA Lebanon, The Brazil-Lebanon Chamber of Commerce, and the Lebanese Ministry of Youth and Sport.