The World Harmony Run is a running torch relay that travels to over 70 countries every year, linking the people, communities and nations on its route in a spirit of friendship and togetherness.
As the World Harmony runners travel from country to country, we see time and again examples of how the things that make humanity special - kindness, generosity, a sense of joy and humor and a largeness of heart - are things that people from every country and race and religion possess. And so along the route, we visit schools, running clubs, community groups and local and national governments, sharing with them this same message - that there is indeed much more that unites the people of this world than divides them.
We actively encourage people and communities along the route to bring their own special contribution to the Run, and truly make the Run and the ideals it embodies their own. Indeed, the Run would not exist if it were not for the fact that thousands of ordinary men and women across the globe have come behind the Run and added their own unique contribution to make it truly special. What sets the World Harmony Run apart is the simplicity and universality of its message. It does not seek to raise money or espouse a political point of view, and the international team of runners are all volunteers who take time off from their paid jobs in order to participate.
The Run has been warmly supported by the world's foremost inspirational figures - Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev, Mother Teresa and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have all held the World Harmony Torch to express their solidarity with the goals of the Run - as well as athletic champions such as the marathon world record holders Paula Radcliffe and Paul Tergat, Olympic long jump champion Tatyana Lebedyeva, boxing great Muhammad Ali and nine-time Olympic gold medallist Carl Lewis. The founder of the Run, Sri Chinmoy has received numerous awards over the years for his work in bringing to fruition the World Harmony Run and other initiatives, such as the Mahatma Gandhi Award and the UNESCO Peace Medallion.
Over the years, the World Harmony Run has grown in size and scope, and has touched every corner of the globe. The European leg of the run takes place from March to October every year and runs through all European countries on it route, a total of 24,000 kilometres. The USA leg of the run goes through all fifty states every two years, and the Russian leg entails a 20,000 km odyssey from Moscow to China. There are also concurrent runs taking place in Australia, New Zealand and Japan, as well as five African countries. The World Harmony Torch has been held aloft atop some of the world's highest mountains, and even made its way into outer space, having been brought there by Russian cosmonaut Gennady Strekalov.