Beirut streets were lined with gun-toting soldiers and armored vehicles as the Lebanese army and police deployed en masse to assure security for the event on Sunday.

The marathon, with the slogan "Run For Lebanon, Run For Life," kicked off under a flurry of balloons and some runners wearing Red Cross T-shirts carried a sign that read "Peace."

A festive atmosphere prevailed, despite the high security, with some joggers running hand-in-hand with children along the route and street performers seen exchanging banter with army soldiers.

More than 20,000 people had registered for the different races of this event, which was originally scheduled to take place on November 26 but was postponed after the assassination of anti-Syrian industry minister Pierre Gemayel five days earlier.

The route of the course was "slightly modified" due to the protest by the opposition according to Marathon director Mark Dickinson .

The massive protest to force Prime Minister Fouad Siniora to resign started on Friday . Following the protest, thousands of protesters started their sit-in and began camping Friday near government offices in downtown Beirut . The government has refused to give to the demands of the opposition and continues to conduct business at the government offices in the Grand Saray.

Here are some pictures of the event courtesy of AP & Reuters:

Lebanese girls in costumes run the fourth annual Beirut International Marathon in Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday Dec.3

Lebanese soldiers look on as people in costumes run the fourth annual Beirut International Marathon, holding balloons, in Beirut

Runners participate in the annual Beirut Marathon in central Beirut December 3, 2006. The participants ran around Beirut in support of peace in Lebanon.

Lebanese Red Cross volunteer runners hold the word reading 'peace', as they prepare for the start of the fourth annual Beirut International Marathon in Beirut, Lebanon

Kenyan runner Younees Koryer, wave after she won the fourth annual Beirut International Marathon, in Beirut, Lebanon,