Timor-Leste marathon is more than just a race

They stand on street corners, clutching tiny versions of their nation's red, black and gold flag, all anxious for a sale before the big day. "Maratao, maratao!" they cry out – "marathon, marathon!" – their excitement palpable over Saturday's 26-mile run through the waterfront lanes of Dili, Timor-Leste's capital.

For these young hawkers, as well as many other islanders, the event marks not only the third-ever international marathon in this nation's young history, but a vibrant departure from decades of brutal and bloody foreign occupation that ended, officially, 10 years ago on 20 May.

This small island nation of 1.2 million people was taken over by Indonesia soon after it was granted independence from Portugal in 1975. The brutal annexation killed off nearly one-third of Timor-Leste's population by 1999, when it pursued a UN-sponsored act of self-determination. It finally gained independence in 2002.

Now, thanks to international and forward-focused events such as the Dili marathon, tourism has boomed. "Finally, there's a positive news story about Timor-Leste," says Sean Ferguson-Borrell, one of the organisers of the 2012 marathon. "It's proof that, in spite of how bad things can get, there are solutions for the future as well."

While thunderstorms are predicted, more than 8,000 people are expected to turn out for the day's sporting events, which include a full and half-marathon, as well as a 5km and 10km "Run for Peace". Participants are primarily Timor-Lestese, but many have travelled from other countries, among them Ireland, Estonia, Kenya, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong and Portugal.

"It's a great opportunity to see some parts of Dili that you don't normally see, plus it's a great physical challenge," says first-time participant Tom Coghlan, 27, a lawyer from Melbourne, as he collects his jersey and numbered bib from the registration office at the Presidential Palace, where a queue of Timor-Lestese men in business suits are registering for the 5km "fun run" during their lunchbreak.

This year is a hugely important one for Timor-Leste, which in April elected a new president – former guerrilla fighter Taur Matan Ruak – who will be sworn in on 20 May and replace Nobel laureate Jose Ramos-Horta, and whose election marked a significant transition in a country still scarred by violence from the 2006 vote. Next Sunday marks 10 years of independence, parliamentary elections are scheduled for July, and the UN peacekeeping force, which began in 2006 and can still be seen throughout Dili, is due to fully withdraw by December.

For many locals, the marathon represents a collective effort to build new bridges and move on from the past. "There is no more significant event in Timor-Leste," says Manuel da Costa Lake, the Timor-Leste national team's coach and mentor, who has been training 12 runners – six men and six women – every morning and afternoon for the past few months. "Everyone gets involved, through participating, cheering runners on, or coming out from the districts. It creates stability in our country and is a chance for people to have fun. It's hugely important to our national psyche."

For President Ramos-Horta, who created the "Dili – City of Peace" initiative in 2009, which comprises the marathon and sister events, such as the Tour de Timor, a mountain biking competition held in September, sport is a form of "group therapy" for the nation to help heal resentment and conflict.

"When you're confronted with a society suffering from conflict and violence, you devise strategies to deal with it. Every society needs role models," he says. "Now, look at us. For the first time in 10 years, we're fully eligible to attend the Olympics on our own merit, instead of 'being permitted' out of sympathy to participate. That creates pride in our people."

This weekend's winners will take home $5,000 for the full marathon and $2,500 for the half, huge sums in a country where nearly 40% of the population survives on less than 78p a day.

For Juventina Napoleao, 23, and Augusto Ramos Soares, 25, of the Timor-Leste national team, both of whom have qualified to participate in the upcoming London Olympics, winning the race would allow them to send money home to their families, who live as farmers and market sellers in impoverished outer districts.

"In my village, no one has any skills or knowledge," says Ramos Soares. "If I didn't have this opportunity, I'd be doing what my parents are doing: farming. Now I represent my country to the rest of the world and prove that we can do this. Timor-Leste can do this."