Olympic Day Run 2000 Throughout the World

Olympic Day Run 2000 throughout the world Feature compiled by Sylvie Espagnac he International Year for a Culture of Peace provi- ALGERIA ded an opportunity for many National Olympic T Committees (NOCs) to adopt the theme of peace This year’s Olympic Day Run was held in Adrar, and the Olympic Truce for their traditional Olympic Day a town on the edge of the Algerian Sahara, Run. Since 1987, the annual Olympic Day Run has some 1,400 km from the capital, Algiers. It was enabled millions of men, women, children, elderly and brought forward to 4 April because of the disabled persons from all social, political and cultural oppressive heat experienced in this region from backgrounds to experience together the joys of physical May onwards. The day before the race, an opening ceremo- exertion. On Olympic Day, celebrated across the world ny was held, including a procession of the teams, martial art on 23 June (anniversary of the founding in 1894 of the demonstrations and folk dancing. Schoolchildren who had International Olympic Committee by Baron Pierre de won the NOC’s drawing competition on the theme “Sport, a Coubertin at the Sorbonne University in Paris, France), component of peace” were presented with their prizes. The the IOC President, Juan Antonio Samaranch, and the 8.1 km race attracted a field of 1,251 boys and girls, wat- United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, sent a ched by a large crowd along the route. At the finishing line, in joint message to all the NOCs. As in previous years, the the town square, the winners and participants received first Olympic Day Run of the new millennium was held medals, prizes and certificates. alongside other sports competitions and demonstrations as well as cultural and artistic events. The Coca-Cola company has been supporting this commemoration of sport for all since 1989.

SOUTH AFRICA The city of Durban hosted the Olympic Day 2000 celebrations. At 11 a.m. on 2 July, 3,700 people set off on a 5 km or 10 km run, officially started by the Governor (Premier) of KwaZulu Natal province, Lionel Mtshali. At the finish, in the ‘Blue Lagoon’ park, the first thousand runners each received a T-shirt. All participants were awarded an IOC certificate. A raffle was also held, with the first prize a trip to the Sydney Games (including flight, accommodation and entran- ce tickets). During the day, runners and spectators were able to rub shoulders with members of the South African Olympic team, including Olympic champions Penny Heyns et Josiah Thugwane.

GERMANY The 14th Olympic Day Run took place in Weiskir- chen/Saar on 17 June. Around 1,400 runners, including IOC Executive Board member Thomas Bach, Prince Henri of Luxembourg, IOC member, and Peter Müller, President of the Saarland region, entered the 5 and 10 km races. T-shirts and IOC certificates were distributed at the finish. Olympic Day drew to a close with an “Olympic Night”, attended by numerous stars from the worlds of sport, culture and politics.

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ANDORRA The streets of Andorra-la-Vella were bubbling with excitement on 2 July, when Olympic Day 2000 was celebrated. Many spectators came to support the 47 runners in their 7 km and 2 km (for children) races. Prizes were presented by the Secretary General of the Andorran Olympic Committee, Josep Maria Cosan Nadal, and the President of the Athletics Federation, Josep Sansa Font. Each participant received an IOC certificate and a commemorative T-shirt.

ANGOLA Held from 16 to 23 June, Olympic Week began with the 16th African Child Day, a sporting and cultural celebration involving some 2,000 boys and 1,500 girls, attended by Angola’s First Lady, Ana Paula dos Santos. Eight hundred children took part in the race held on 23 June. In all, 5,133 boys and 3,000 girls participated in various sports activities during Olympic Week 2000: handball, beach football, table tennis, cycling, judo, swimming, indoor football, sack race, chess, gymnastics, athletics, basketball, volleyball, wrestling, tennis and aerobics.

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ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA SAUDI ARABIA At 7.30 a.m. on 2 July, more than 375 runners This year, 550 runners entered the 6th Olympic met to take part in the Olympic Day Run. They Day Run held in Ha’il at 4 p.m. on 10 August. included a remarkable number of mothers with As in previous years, Saudi runners were joined babies and young children, although there were by participants from Egypt, India, Pakistan and runners of all ages and backgrounds. Prizes Syria, watched by almost 10,000 spectators were awarded to the youngest, oldest and fastest partici- who lined the 2, 5 and 10 km routes. The event was widely pants as well as to the family with the most runners. reported in the press and on television.

NETHERLANDS ANTILLES ARGENTINA For the first time ever, the Olympic Day Run was The traditional walk, held on 24 June under the held on four of the five islands of the Netherlands name “Sydney 2000”, attracted more than 3,500 Antilles on 25 June. The commissioners for enthusiastic participants, who covered a distance sport and culture of the islands of St Eustatius, of 7 km in central Buenos Aires in front of a crowd St Maarten, Bonaire and Curaçao started the races, in which of spectators. All runners were awarded an IOC around 1,200 boys and girls competed, split into two age certificate at the finishing line. groups. Other sports such as football, swimming, karate and volleyball were also organized at the national sports centre in Curaçao. Certificates, T-shirts and drinks were given to all participants.

34 ARMENIA The race was held on 23 June, beginning in the central square in Yerevan. After the joint IOC/United Nations message had been read out, an orchestra played the Armenian national anthem, 500 balloons representing the Olympic rings were released and 50 white doves symbolizing peace took flight. Then the European weightlifting champion Ashot Danielyan hoisted the Armenian and Olympic flags. A total of 1,760 people, including 425 women and many disabled persons, entered the race through the streets of the Armenian capital to the “Hrazdan” stadium. In the evening, in Azatoutian Square, as well as dancing and singing, badminton, table tennis and arm-wrestling competitions were held, together with demonstrations of Armenian “kokh” wrestling, acroba- AUSTRALIA tics, rhythmic and artistic gymnastics, body-building and taekwondo. Held in Burswood Park, Western Australia, on 9 July, just a few weeks before the Games of the XXVII Olympiad in Sydney, Olympic Day Run 2000 was hugely successful. Syd, Millie and Ollie, the Sydney mascots, and more than 50 Olympians were joined by nearly 2,200 runners over distances of 5 and 10 km. The 10 km race was won for the ninth time by marathon runner Ray Boyd. Sue Hobson’s victory in the women’s event was good preparation for the Olympic marathon. A few thousand kilometres away, in Adelaide, South Australia, around 280 people set off, either walking or running, on a 5 or 10 km course from the Santos stadium, the cradle of Ade- laide athletics. Souvenirs, IOC certificates and Coca-Cola T- shirts were awarded to each participant. The media covered the event both in Burswood Park and in Adelaide.

ARUBA This year, “Olympic Dream 2000” Week was organized by a local radio station, “Magic FM”, with five Olympic sports on the agenda (athletics, basketball, swimming, table tennis and volleyball). The winner of the “best player” award accompanied the Aruban delegation to the Sydney Games as the NOC’s special guest. In the middle of the week, the Olympic Day Run was organized by the NOC, with 75 participants. The race was started by the Minister of Sport, Glenbert Croes, and all runners received an IOC certificate and refreshments courtesy of Coca-Cola. Before the race began, the Olympic anthem, translated into the local language, Papiamento, was sung by the “Tutti Frutti” children’s choir.

35 AZERBAIJAN BAHRAIN On 24 June, 2,270 people gathered in Azadliq Placed under his patronage, the 13th Olympic Square in the capital, Baku, to take part in the Day Run was officially started by Sheik Isa bin 2, 4 and 10 km races. They were welcomed by Rashid Al-Khalifa, NOC President and Vice personalities including the Deputy Minister of President of the Higher Council for Youth and Youth and Sport, Asif Asgarov, the NOC Sport. Around 60 men and women ran the 5 km from the President, llham Aliyev, and the NOC vice-president, Chingiz Behair Area petrol station to the national stadium. Trophies Husseinzadeh. On the same day, 515 runners pounded the and medals were awarded to the winners of each category. streets of Azerbaijan’s second city, Ghanja. Widespread coverage was provided by the press and television.

BANGLADESH The highly successful first Olympic Day Run of BAHAMAS the new millennium was held in six different cities on 23 June. In Dhaka, the capital, almost Two hundred men, women and children, aged 10,000 people met at 6 a.m. in the from 11 to 73, ran the five-mile course from Fort Bangabandhu national stadium before the 14 km race was Montagu in Nassau to Paradise Island. Athletes started by Finance Minister S A M S Kibria. In the cities of selected for Sydney enjoyed a special breakfast Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Barisal, around while NOC President Arlington Butler highlighted 5,600 men, women and children took part in the various the importance of peace. A wheelchair race was held on the races, which were followed by the distribution of T-shirts and same course. The main event, which was won for the second IOC certificates. successive year by triathlete Mackey Williams, was watched by a large crowd of spectators.

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BELARUS BELIZE The Olympic Day Run was held across the In spite of bad weather, more than 100 people, country, with regional finals taking place on 23 including 48 women, took part in the traditional June. In all, around 33,000 children, students, race on 25 June in Belize. The event was televised workers and disabled people covered distances by the local Channel 5. Before the race began, the ranging from 50 m for children under 5 to 20 km for adults. NOC President, Edward Pitts, described the aims Concerts, folk dancing and gymnastics demonstrations were and history of the annual event and read the joint IOC/United also organized. Each participant was given an IOC certificate Nations message. Every runner received a T-shirt at the start and various NOC souvenirs. The event received considerable and an IOC certificate at the end of the race. coverage in all the national media. Olympic Day Run throughout the world

BENIN grateful recipients of an IOC certificate at the end of the race. Over 3,000 men, women and children from different regions and social backgrounds hel- ped to celebrate Olympic Day on 24 June in the SOS children’s village in Calavi, and on 1 July in the city of Djougou, in the north of Benin. In Calavi, hundreds of children aged from 6 to 14 ran in cross-country races over different distances, depending on their age. An IOC certificate was awarded to each participant, The first 25 in each category received a T-shirt bearing the NOC emblem and the words “Olympic Day Run”. The event was widely covered by the national press and radio.

BOLIVIA Held on 23 July, the 2000 Olympic Day Run brought together around 1,200 runners, who were split into six categories. The race began at 8.30 a.m. at the NOC headquarters and ended, as last year, in the “Hernando Siles” athletics stadium in the capital La Paz. After completing the distance of approximately 10 km, all participants went away with a Coca-Cola T-shirt and an IOC certificate.

BHUTAN

The districts of Ha and Samchi, situated in the west and south of Bhutan respectively, organized the 2000 Olympic Day Run. Under the slogans “Say no to drugs” and “Say no to alco- hol”, more than 900 runners, including schoolchildren, members of the armed forces and civil servants, ran either 10 or 14 km in the Ha district. The race held in Samchi on 24 June attracted over 400 competitors, who ran distances of 6 and 14 km. In both districts, all runners were

38 BOTSWANA BRUNEI DARUSSALAM The Olympic Day Run was again held in On 25 June, 800 people from all social back- Selebe Phikwe and Gaborone. On 25 June, grounds and all age groups gathered in the 190 people ran in Selebe Phikwe and 140 capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, to run either 5 took part in Gaborone after the IOC Presi- or 10 km. The participants included the NOC dent’s message had been read out. Each President, Prince Haji Sufri Bolkiah, several participant was awarded an IOC certificate Government Ministers and NOC members. Eleven wheel- at the end. chair-bound athletes also completed a 1 km race. Prizes were awarded to the first five in each category. The press provided excellent coverage of the event, which was an BRAZIL indisputable success. The NOC, in cooperation with the “Social Service of Commerce - SESC” association, BRASIL held an Olympic Week in Sao Paolo from 22 to 29 June. Sports and cultural activities were organized, including an exhibition of Olympic posters and medals and a seminar on “sport and social integra- tion”. On 22 June, 1,700 men and women, divided into six age groups, took part in the 3 km race. A few minutes before it began, a crowd of around 5,000 people heard the Olympic anthem and the joint message from the IOC Pre- sident and UN Secretary General. Prizes and IOC certificates were awarded to the winners and participants. The day, which was well covered by the national media, ended with a torch relay involving children from the different areas of Sao Paulo. Each child wore a T-shirt bearing an anti- violence and anti-drugs slogan. One of them read a mani- festo for world peace.

BULGARIA As well as the traditional races over 1, 2, 3, 5 and 10 km, the NOC and Olympic clubs organized cycling, football, basketball, gymnastics, aerobics, swimming and tennis competitions in 28 Bulgarian towns. More than 12,000 people of all ages took part. As last year, the traditional Olympic torch relay was held in Sofia, involving the students of the National Sports Academy. In Plovdiv, at the ini- tiative of the Sport for All club, families took part in games and races under the slogan “My mother, my father and me”. In Pernik, the Children’s Association organized an exhibition of children’s drawings, a concert and a kite demonstration. Participants in all cities received an IOC certificate and the winners were given Coca-Cola T-shirts. All these events received wide media coverage.

39 CAMEROON Owing to preparations for the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, the NOC organized the 2000 race in only two cities, Akono and Yaoundé. At 8 a.m. on 24 June, 530 people were present at the start of 6 and 8 km races. At 7 a.m. the next day, in the capital Yaoundé, around 1,000 runners set off over the same distances, starting and finishing on the Boulevard du 20 mai. Coca-Cola T-shirts and IOC certificates were presented to the participants.

CAMBODIA Olympic Day Run 2000 commemorated not only the 106th anniversary of the IOC and the international Year for a Culture of Peace, but also the birthday of the Queen of Cambodia. Two cities hosted this annual event a week apart. In Phnom Penh on 18 June, 1,600 runners, split into five categories, entered the 7 km race, officially started with CAPE VERDE a message from Prime Minister Samdach Hun Sen. Those present included Kong Sam Oi, Deputy Prime Minister, Bou Two months before the race was held on 25 Chum Serey, Under-Secretary of State for Education, Youth June, the national media carried advertise- and Sport, and My Samedy and Meas Sarin, NOC President ments for the Olympic Movement and and Secretary General respectively. On 25 June, in Pursat Olympic Day, stressing in particular the culture of peace and province, 710 men and women ran 5 km, watched by around the fight against doping. Four of the nine Cape Verde islands 5,000 spectators. Before the races started, the joint messa- hosted the event: São Tiago (Praia), São Vicente (Mindelo), ge from the IOC President and UN Secretary General was Maio (Porto Inglês) and Sal (Espargos). Around 3,000 men, read out. women, children and veterans took part in the 8 km race, started by the President of the Anti-Doping Commission, Ana Cristina Andrade.

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CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA The race, held on 29 June, covered 10 km along The 14th Olympic Day Run was held in the the edge of the heavily populated districts of the Fangshan district of Beijing. More than 5,000 capital, Bangui. At 7 a.m., at the Place de la Chinese aged from 14 to 80 entered the République, the Prime Minister officially started 3.2 km race, which was started by NOC Pre- the race, in which more than 500 runners, including himself, sident, Yuan Weimin, the Deputy Mayor of Beijing, Liu Jing- all government members and ambassadors of accredited min, the District Governor, Wang Fengjiang, and the NOC friendly countries in the Central African Republic took part Secretary General, Tu Mingde. During the ceremony, the chil- under the spotlight of all the national media. At the finishing dren of Fangshan presented a four-metre flag, which they line in the B. Boganda stadium, IOC certificates were handed had designed, to the Chinese Olympic Committee. After the to the participants and special prizes and trophies to the first joint message from the IOC President and UN Secretary ten in each category. General had been read, a cultural show was put on by the local people. Trophies and IOC certificates were awarded to each participant. In order to highlight the importance of this celebration of sport for all, in which two million people have participated in the 14 years since its inception, the NOC Pre- sident presented a special certificate to the two millionth runner, 75year old Shi Zhenying, who had been “in love with sport” for many decades. More than thirty members of the national and local media covered the 2000 Olympic Day Run.

CHILE More than 700 runners entered the 12th Olympic Day Run over 9.4 km. They included the Minister of the Economy, Mines and Energy, Jose de Gregorio, who participated for the third time, and NOC President Ricardo Navarrete. The race began and ended at the NOC headquarters in Santiago. T-shirts and IOC certificates were awarded to all participants.

CYPRUS On 24 June, more than 200 athletes from different countries and cultural backgrounds came to Nicosia to share the ideals of solidarity, peace and cooperation represented by the Olympic Day Run. Under the theme “Sport, Culture and Peace”, Olympic Day 2000 also provided a chance to participate in musical and cultural activities. Winners’ trophies were presented by the Mayor of Nicosia, Lelos Demetriades, NOC President Kikis Lazarides, Secretary General Andreas Stavrou and director Nicos Kartakoullis.

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The day, which is now a landmark date for everyone, conclu- ded with the distribution of T-shirts and IOC certificates,

COLOMBIA COOK ISLANDS Some 1,150 boys and girls aged between 10 Held three weeks after the Sydney 2000 Olympic and 16, from different schools in the capital, met torch had passed through the Islands, the first in the Simon Bolivar Park in Bogota on 12 Olympic Day run of the new millennium was huge- August to celebrate Olympic Day. To mark the ly successful. As in 1999, the main island of Games of the XXVII Olympiad in Sydney, the Colombian Rarotonga attracted the largest number of runners, Olympic Academy had set up an educational programme to with 1,000 of the island’s 8,000 inhabitants taking part. On the teach children the history of the Olympic Movement and the other islands, runners numbered 125 on Mauke, 200 on Olympic Games. The programme included sports such as Mangaia, 150 on Mitiaro, 120 on Atiu and 100 on Aitutaki. discus, javelin, running and wrestling as well as painting and origami workshops on the theme of peace.

KOREA On 18 June, more than 1,000 spectators watched 3,000 runners begin the traditional COMOROS 5.1 km race in Peace Square, near the entran- ce to the Olympic Park in Seoul. As well as As last year, the Olympic Day Run proved very numerous sports leaders and Olympic medallists, the popular. On 25 June, over 200 runners from all event was attended by Un Yong Kim, NOC President and categories took part in the 12 km race from member of the IOC Executive Board, who stressed in his Hoani to Fomboni on the island of Mohéli, chee- opening speech the importance of protecting the environ- red on by the inhabitants of the villages en route. ment and safeguarding peace through sport by promoting

42 the Olympic Movement and the Olympic Truce in the new CÔTE D'IVOIRE millennium. IOC certificates, T-shirts and brochures were handed out. NOC President Lassana Palenfo officially started the 2000 Olympic Day Run, which covered the 10 km from the centre of Port-Bouët to the Treichville sports arena. The race was completed by 255 of the 300 entrants. Other competitions were also organized on 25 June. Sixty judokas fought for the “Louis Guirandou N’Diaye” trophy. Karate and taekwondo tournaments were then held in front of a large crowd. At half-time during the final of the young hopefuls’ basketball championships between the Cocody municipality’s MBBC and TBC Ermess from the Treichville municipality, 25 archers from several different countries demonstrated their archery skills. At the end of the day, the joint IOC/UN message was read by the NOC President, who also awarded prizes to the winners. The event was well documented in the media. COSTA RICA The 13th Olympic Day Run was dedicated to the University for Peace. On 2 July, more than 500 runners took part in the race, which was started at 9 a.m. by Gerardo Budowsky, vice- chancellor of the University, and ended 11.2 km later at the NOC headquarters in Coronado. The event was covered by the written press, television and radio. Each participant was awarded a T-shirt and an IOC certificate.

CROATIA Almost 1,100 people of all ages took part in the traditional Olympic Day Run, which was again held in the Plitvicka Jezera national park on 18 June. A marathon was organized as well as 6 and 16 km races. Each runner received an IOC certificate and Coca-Cola T-shirt. The winners in the marathon and 16 km race were awarded paintings by famous Croatian artists such as Juraj Jonke, Mira Micoli and Zdenka Vojvodic. Exclusive jewellery by Biserka and Zvonko Stimac was presented to the best female

43 athletes. The event received excellent coverage on national television.

CUBA DENMARK For several years now, all the municipalities in The Olympic Day Run was held in nine the country have organized simultaneous Danish cities: Slagelse, Randers, Fredericia, races to celebrate Olympic Day. A total of Helsingor, Thisted, Bornholm, Esbjerg, more than 10,000 runners took part in the Holstebro and Hjorring. A total of 1,001 2000 event held on 18 June under the themes men, women and children took part in the “Sport for a culture of peace and the Olympic Truce” and 3 km, 5 km and 9.2 km events. “The fight against drug use and abuse”. In Havana, the national race, which covered the traditional “Paseo del Prado” route, attracted 1,023 men, women, children and disabled persons. Double Olympic champion and NOC vice-president Alberto Juantorena read the joint IOC/ United Nations message before the race was officially started in the presence of, inter alia, Minister of Justice Roberto Díaz Sotolongo, IOC member Reynaldo Gonzalez Lopez, NOC President Jose R. Fernandez Alvarez, vice- president of the Institute of Sport, Physical Education and Leisure, Angel Iglesias, vice-president of the Cuban Movement for Peace Arturo Espinosa Hernández and the Deputy Mayor of Havana, Manuel Morales. Since the event was held on Father’s Day, all fathers taking part with their children were given a special prize. As last year, a special tribute was paid to the school physical education teacher who had entered the largest number of pupils: Jose Girón Garcia from the ‘José Martí’ school entered DOMINICA 150 pupils, who received footballs and sports equipment. Commemorative T-shirts and IOC certificates were awar- For the fourth year, the NOC organized the ded to every runner. Special prizes were also presented Olympic Day Run, which attracted 225 athletes by the Ministry of Justice’s anti-drugs unit and the Cuban to run through the streets of Roseau on 24 June. Movement for Peace. Six national sports federations and ten secondary

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schools also took part in the 5 km race. The previous day, the 11 km course from the “Las Delicias” stadium to the “Flor Head of State, Vernon Lorden Shaw, had encouraged his Blanca” stadium. Some people competed in roller-skates in compatriots to enter the 2000 event as part of the Interna- the 5.5 km race that was also held. tional Year for a Culture of Peace.

EGYPT ECUADOR The 2000 race, held on 23 June, began at the More than 2,000 athletes entered the “Pierre de Fort of Qa’it Bay in Alexandria. Almost 2,500 Coubertin” race held in Guayaquil on 24 June. men, women and children set off through the In this Olympic year, the men’s and women’s streets, watched by senior sports leaders and races were won by brother and sister Franklyn politicians, including representatives of the Ministry and Martha Tenoro, both of whom qualified for for Youth and Sport and the Egyptian Amateur Athletics the Games of the XXVII Olympiad in Sydney. In the other Federation. At the finishing line in the Alexandria athletics sta- categories, Ximena Martinez and Henry Caicedo were the dium, prizes were awarded to the first ten boys and girls, fastest students, Eduardo Quispe and Maria Juiña won the while trophies, souvenirs, IOC certificates and Coca-Cola veterans’ races and Luis Alvarado finished first in the disa- T-shirts were presented to all participants. The event was well bled event. documented on national television.

EL SALVADOR SPAIN Olympic Week was once again a great success, On 24 June, the town of Teruel hosted the Olym- the highlight being the Olympic Day Run on 25 pic Day Run, in which almost 2,000 people ran a June. More than 2,100 children, adults, elderly 3 km course through the streets. Before the race and wheelchair-bound athletes covered the began, Manuel Blasco Marques, Mayor of Teruel,

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and Joaquín Agulla, the NOC’s Sports Director, addressed the runners. Olympians from the region hoisted the Olympic flag as the Olympic anthem was played.

FINLAND Held on 6 July as the final leg of the Suomi- Juoksee relay event from northern Finland to Helsinki, the 2000 Olympic Day Run attracted 620 athletes, who ran either 3.5 or 9 km through the streets of the Finnish capital.

FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA Olympic Day 2000 was celebrated in four towns - Kocani, Vinica, Orizari and Zrnovci - on 16 June. In Zrnovci, 500 athletes ran through the streets, while Vinica and Orizari each attracted 700 participants. In Kocani, 4,000 people, including 500 on roller-skates and 300 cyclists, were involved. The NOC also organized a marathon and a cycle race between the four towns, which are situated 18 km apart. In collaboration with the NOC, schools held writing and drawing competitions on the theme of sport and the Sydney Games. Once again, the guests of honour were athletes: Gordana Naceva and Mir- jana Cupic, members of the national handball team, Blagoja Georgievski, basketball silver medallist at the 1976 Montreal Games, and Stojna Vangelovska, basketball silver medallist at the 1988 Games in Seoul. All television and radio stations and newspapers covered the various events in great detail.

46 FRANCE Olympic Day 2000 was organized by the French Sporting and Cultural Federation (FSCF), under the aegis of the NOC. As well as the race itself, several Sport for All demonstrations took place, involving more than 100,000 people in 75 towns in Metropolitan France and one in Polynesia. A symbolic international relay from Mirville, the family home of Baron Pierre de Coubertin, to Paris (over 200 km) was also held: 40 runners, wearing the Olympic colours and aged between 16 and 72, came from all over France and even Belgium to take part. “Inf’Olympisme” forums, combining sport, Olympism, culture and celebration, were organized at the start and end of the relay and in many of the 75 participating GAMBIA towns. An educational booklet entitled “Let the flame burn every day!“, comprising five cards on the themes Under the slogan “Peace for society and and values of Olympism, was distributed in more than humanity”, Olympic Day 2000 attracted 4,500 primary and secondary schools. Finally, a compe- several hundred people to take part in four tition was launched by the FSCF to promote learning races. Before they began, schoolchildren, about France and Olympism, the aim being to find a quo- young people, members of sports organizations and volun- tation by Pierre de Coubertin. teers were led by the army orchestra in a march from the main street in Serekunda to the Coca-Cola headquarters, where the State Secretary for Justice, Pap Cheyassin Secka, reminded them of the importance of tolerance towards others: “other people’s opinions must be respec- ted, no matter how different they are from our own”. They were also addressed by a representative of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. On the after- noon of 24 June, a large crowd gathered to watch the 3, 5 and 10 km races and a cycle race, in which a woman took part for the very first time. The NOC President, vice-president and members, together with several government officials, participated in the day’s activities. As last year, the towns of Mansakonko, Kerewan and Janjanbureh also organized an Olympic Day Run.

GABON In cooperation with the Gabonese Amateur Ath- letics Federation, the NOC organized the race on 23 June 2000. The 10 km event, from the Leon MBA airport to the coast, was entered by 300 men, women, children, veterans, physically han- dicapped and deaf-mute athletes. The first two in each category were awarded trophies, T-shirts and certificates by the Deputy General Secretary for Sport.

47 GEORGIA GREAT BRITAIN On 24 June, the capital Tbilisi hosted 1.5 and Three Olympic Day Runs were held in Great 5 km races, in which 1,150 people took part, split Britain between 19 and 23 June: in Eltham into different age groups. Olympic Day Runs were (South London), Lancing (West Sussex) and also held in twelve other cities, involving a total of Bath. The race in Bath was started by Kate around 2,700 people. All runners received an IOC Allenby, an Olympic modern pentathlon hopeful. The winners certificate and Coca-Cola T-shirt. The joint message from the were awarded T-shirts signed by Olympians Colin Jackson IOC President and UN Secretary General, translated into and Paul Palmer. In all, more than 700 runners, the youngest Georgian, was published in the main national sports news- under five years old, took part. papers.

GHANA GRENADA Olympic Day Runs were held simultaneously in Starting in Grand Anse and finishing in the Accra, the capital, and Kumasi, Ghana’s national stadium in St George’s, the race held second city, attracting 3,000 participants aged on 25 June 2000 attracted more than 350 run- from 10 to 60. The two Deputy Ministers for ners, wearing Olympic Day T-shirts and inclu- Youth and Sport attended the start and finish of ding members of the boxing, swimming, foot- each race, which was covered by national radio, television ball and athletics federations. The NOC President, Royston and press. La Hee, presented each participant with an IOC certificate.

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GUAM GUINEA It was only 6 a.m. when 300 early risers of all ages The Olympic Week programme, organized by the began the 5 km Olympic Day Run in Tiyan. Caps, NOC, included boxing, judo, taekwondo, wrest- trophies and other souvenirs were awarded to each ling, football, cycling, volleyball and handball. All child who took part. The event was well documen- these sports were played in front of large ted in the local press. crowds, with the final of the football tournament attracting nearly 5,000 spectators to the Olympafrica stadium in Bonfi. The race held on 18 June was also well attended. In the capital, Conakry, members of the government, various institutions and parliament ran 500 m, while athletes from all sports disciplines completed a 5 km course. In all, 1,500 participants reached the finishing line in the Place des Mar- tyrs. Another race took place on the same day in Kindia, a town situated 150 km from the capital. Certificates prepared by the Guinean boxing federation were given to each participant.

GUATEMALA As last year, the Olympic Day Run was held on two consecutive days, with entrants split into different categories. A total of 2,381 men, women, children, veterans and disabled people completed distances of 1.5, 5 and 11.5 km in Guatemala City on 24 and 25 June. The first three in each category were awarded trophies while all participants received an IOC certificate. The 2000 event was covered by the national press and television.

GUYANA Under the theme “Love, Peace and National Unity”, the race on 25 June attracted more than 200 runners to compete over a distance of 10 km. Participants included NOC Pre- sident K. Juman-Yassin, sports federation representatives, members of the police and army, nume-

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rous schoolchildren and the Mayor of Georgetown, Hamilton Greene.

HUNGARY Brought forward to 20 May because of the Games HONDURAS of the XXVII Olympiad, the Olympic Day Run attracted around 10,500 participants of all ages, split into The 13th Olympic Day celebrations included a three categories. A warm-up session was held 3.9 km race for children aged 7 to 16 and a 10 before the race began in the “Nep” stadium in km race for adults and disabled persons. A total Budapest. IOC certificates were presented by IOC member of 650 people took part in Tegucigalpa on 30 Pal Schmitt. July.

INDIA HONG KONG, CHINA On 23 June, three states hosted an Olympic Day Run. In Haryana state, in northern India, around On 18 June, making the most of a break in 10,000 people ran distances of 3, 7 and 10 km the rain, almost 1,200 people ran the 4 km through the streets of Panchkula. A Pakistani race through the centre of Hong Kong. Sou- “Circle Kabaddi” team (a very popular game in venirs, Coca-Cola T-shirts and IOC certifi- the villages of Southern Asia), accompanied by a Pakistani cates were presented to all participants, who Minister, was invited to help celebrate Olympic Day in order also entered a raffle after the race. The newspaper “Ming to promote friendship and good will. As well as volleyball and Pao”, which provided official coverage of the race, published tug-of-war competitions, the 30,000 spectators enjoyed a a special supplement on the day of the event. cultural programme of traditional dance and music. On the

50 same day, in Panjim, in Goa state, around 5,000 people, ISRAEL including the Ministers of Sport and Public Works, ran 10 km. In Bangalore, India’s garden city in Karnataka state, the race The town of Ramat-Gan once again hosted the began at the historic site of Vidhan Saudha, the legislative Olympic Day Run, with 2,500 participants split assembly. Members of the national Olympic team left their into four groups: 2.4 km for everyone, competi- training camp, where they were preparing for the Sydney tive races over 2.4 km and 10 km (for elite run- Games, to join the 5,000 men, women and children from ners), and a 200 m run for children under 5. Bangalore. Participants received souvenirs, T-shirts and cer- Prize money and mobile telephones were awarded to the tificates to mark the event, which was widely reported in the winners of the elite category. media.

ICELAND After a 15-minute warm-up, 657 runners covered distances of 2.5, 5 and 10 km. Held near the National Olympic and Sports Centre in Lau- ITALY gardalur on 28 June, the race attracted many top Icelandic athletes, including Olympic Solida- Around 4,000 runners gathered in two rity scholarship-holders Jon Arnar Magnusson, Gudrun Italian cities under the slogan “Let’s run Arnardottir, Orn Arnarson and Einar K. Hjartarson. Certificates together for peace”. On 3 June, Latina, near and commemorative medals were presented. Rome, hosted the event for the first time. Participants of all ages took part on foot, bicycle and roller-skates. At the end of the 5 km race, sports demonstrations and competitions (canoeing, sailing, boxing, kar- ting, volleyball, etc) were organized, as well as an exhibition of sport-related stamps. The following day, the city of Florence hosted an Olympic Day Run for the 10th time. Around 2,000 runners and skaters completed 5 and 10 km courses through the old city. Demonstrations of artistic and rhythmic gymnastics, jazz, martial arts, aerobics, etc were held at the finish in the ASSI athletics stadium. An exhibition of illustrations entitled “Athletics and Olympism in Ancient Greece” was put on by the Italian Olympic Academy at the Florence Higher Institute of Phy- sical Education. Each participant received an IOC certificate and Coca-Cola T-shirt.

51 JORDAN A few weeks before Olympic Day, the NOC had launched a publicity campaign on television and in the written press. Placed under the patronage of Said Shuqom, Minister of Youth and Sport and NOC President, the 5 km race held on 15 August attracted more than 1,000 entrants. Drinks, T-shirts and caps were awarded to all participants, with medals and trophies presented to the various winners as the military band played in the background.

JAMAICA The municipality of St James, Jamaica’s big- gest tourist centre, hosted the race on 23 June. Taking the form of a relay, the race involved 14 teams of 10 runners, each covering 1 km, starting and finishing at the Montego Bay Yacht Club.

KAZAKHSTAN Olympic Day was celebrated in eight different cities on 23 June, involving more than 6,200 runners. In Almaty, capital of Southern Kazakhstan, almost 930 runners of all ages ran distances of 1, 2.4 and 5 km in stifling heat (nearly 40°C). For the third time, an international marathon (“Medeu-Marathon 2000”) attracted runners from Germany, France, the United States of America, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and the Russian Federation. All participants

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received T-shirts and certificates. Special programmes PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC were broadcast on national television and radio. OF LAOS Olympic Day was celebrated with 5 and 10 km races. In Luangnamtha province, 1,500 braved the rain to take part on 17 June. In Saravanh province, 2,100 men, women and children participated on 24 June.

LESOTHO The Olympic Day Run 2000 was held in the KENYA capital city, Maseru, on 16 July. Around 600 runners met in the Setsoto stadium. Softball, On 24 June, 3,224 men, women, children and gymnastics, netball, long jump, short tennis, disabled people competed in the 2000 Olympic darts and volleyball demonstrations were held Day Run in Machakos. A few days later, on for the enjoyment of all the participants. Coca-Cola T-shirts 1 July, the Minister of Sport, Noah Katana and IOC certificates were handed out. As is the tradition, a Ngala, officially started the race in Nairobi, raffle raised enough money for five children each to be given which attracted 9,461 participants, also covering distances 200.00 Loti towards their school fees. of 3, 5 and 10 km. Judo and tug-of-war demonstrations were held in both cities.

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LATVIA LIBERIA On 27 May, 310 people ran through the streets As was the case in 1998 and 1999, Olympic of Daugavpils, and on 10 June, 1,046 partici- Day Runs were held simultaneously in Mon- pated in the capital, Riga. The youngest runner rovia and Harbel, about 45 miles from the was five years old, the oldest 75. Other activities included a capital, on 24 June. Under the theme “Run- children’s drawing competition and an “Alley of knowledge” ning produces a healthy body”, the 2000 game, based on children’s knowledge of Olympic ideas and event attracted more than 700 runners in Monrovia and facts. Wide media coverage was provided by television, radio around 435 in Harbel. The joint message from the IOC and and the written press. United Nations was read in Monrovia by the President of the Organizing Committee, Brucein H.M. Myers II, and in Harbel by the NOC Deputy Secretary General, John Sua Karnga. Speeches were also given by the Minister of Youth and Sport, François Massaquoi, NOC President Borbor H. Gaye and NOC Secretary General, Clemenceau B. Urey. Before the day drew to a close with a cultural show, the traditional presentation of prizes and souvenirs was held.

LEBANON This year’s Olympic Day Run was held to celebrate the International Year for a Culture of Peace. The 4 km race from the village of Ain Ibil to the town of Bint Jbeil attracted 3,000 runners, watched by members of the NOC and national sports federations, athletes, journalists and representatives LIECHTENSTEIN of the United Nations forces. NOC President Souhail Khoury and other officials presented the winners’ medals. The event On 6 May, several hundred people participated was covered by national radio, television and newspapers. in the Olympic Day Run through the streets of Vaduz. The runners, the youngest of whom were under 8 years old, could choose between distances ranging from 900 m to 8.7 km.

LITHUANIA This year’s Olympic Day was celebrated in 27 districts of Lithuania. The programme included various sports competitions, popular games and, of course, races. The NOC had printed 5,000 colour posters to mark Olympic Day and the Inter- national Year for a Culture of Peace. The final race was held at the Vingis Park in Vilnius on 17 June. The 10 km race attracted 536 runners, while 400 ran the symbolic Olympic mile. As last year, the concluding celebrations

54 began with a torch being lit on the hill of Grand Duke Olympic Day celebrations were well attended and received Gediminias, carried by Olympians as far as the Meris river widespread coverage in the newspapers and on radio and and then taken by boat to the Vingis Park to the sounds of television. the Olympian Friends’ Association band. Beach volleyball and darts competitions were also held, as well as a rowing regatta.

MADAGASCAR Around 500 people gathered outside the LUXEMBOURG Madagascan National Radio headquarters at 8.30 a.m. on 27 August for the start of the For the third consecutive year, the NOC asked the 14th Olympic Day Run. They included 12 Celtic Diekirch Athletics Club to organize Olympic members of the Madagascan team for the Day celebrations in collaboration with the Luxem- Games of the XXVII Olympiad in Sydney. The 3 km race, bourg Athletics Federation and the Diekirch muni- held around Lake Anosy, was attended by representatives cipal authorities, Since 23 June is Luxembourg’s of the Ministry of Youth and Sport, the Mayor of the Urban national holiday (birthday of Grand Duke Jean of Luxem- Municipality of Antananarivo and the United Nations Deve- bourg, Honorary Doyen of the IOC), Olympic Day was lopment Programme representative. T-shirts, caps, Coca- celebrated on 25 June with a programme of sports activi- Cola drinks and IOC certificates were handed out to the ties, entertainment, shows and games. Children formed a participants and organizers. relay to carry the Olympic torch to the municipal stadium, where the festivities were held. As in previous years, the Olympic Day Run was combined with the Luxembourg 10 km road running championships and the 300 competitors each received an IOC certificate and a special Olym- pic Day T-shirt. The 1.5 km children’s race attracted around 400 participants, A 7 km walk enabled the over- 50s to join in the celebrations. As far as the entertainment was concerned, basketball and gymnastics demonstrations were held to the delight of the younger spectators. Children and teenagers were also able to participate in the “Euro Games” (named after the single European currency), which took the form of ten workshops. Each participating child received a special certificate which they can use to enter a grand Euro tombola on 23 June 2002. Although the rain caused a certain amount of disruption, the 13th

55 MALAYSIA MALDIVES The race was held on 27 June 2000 in Kuala A total of 12,447 people began the 10th Olympic Kangsar, in Perak state, 250 km north of the capi- Day Run, held at different venues at the same time tal, Kuala Lumpur. The 7 km event, which started on the same day. A radio signal broadcast at 8 at 7.30 a.m., attracted around 1,400 runners, a.m. on 23 June began the festivities of this spe- divided into seven age groups. As well as the IOC certificates cial day. A football match and “bashi” tournaments and Coca-Cola T-shirts awarded to each participant, two return (traditional game) were also held on the first Olympic Day of flights from Kuala Lumpur to Pulau Langkawi (seaside resort) the new millennium. One of the Maldives’ most popular dai- and two nights at the Grand Olympic Hotel in the capital were lies, the “Miadhu”, printed a special supplement. again among the prizes available. Numerous reports appeared T-shirts and IOC certificates were awarded to the participants, in the newspapers and on radio and television. MALI This year, the NOC not only read out the message of peace from the IOC and United Nations, but also marked Olympic Day by organizing a competition testing the knowledge of the general public and sporting fraternity about the Olympic Movement, its philosophy and its activities. Sports demonstrations were attended by the General Secretary of the Minis- try of Youth and Sport and the NOC President. The programme included cycle races over distances of 3.5 to 14 km, depending on age, and men’s and women’s handball and volleyball matches. The Olympic Day Run, in which 52 women and 300 men took part, was held over distances of MALAWI 3, 6 and 10 km. The media provided wide coverage of the day’s events. The 6 km race held in the capital, Lilongwe, attracted 950 participants. The programme of events also included sack races, hockey, boxing and women’s football. At the finishing line, the NOC vice-president read the joint IOC/UN message and the Deputy Minister for Sport, Moses Dossi, the guest of honour, thanked the participants for attending in such high numbers. He invited them all, particularly the youngsters, to practise sport seriously. They each received an IOC certificate.

MALTA This year’s Olympic Day Run, held on 24 June, started and finished at the “Olympic Grove” in Xemxija Bay. Started by NOC President, Justi- ce Lino Farrugia Sacco, the race attracted 130 men, women, girls and boys. Prizes were awarded to the first three in each category by the parlia- mentary secretary to the Ministry of Education, Jesmond

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Mugliett. Two lucky participants won flights to London and MAURITANIA Paris donated by Coca-Cola. The 2000 event also included gymnastics, karate, triathlon and swimming. Each As last year, the official newspapers ‘Horizons’ (in participant received an IOC certificate and the first 25 a French) et ‘Chaab’ (in Arabic) announced the Coca-Cola T-shirt. Olympic Day celebrations the day before they were held. The 7 km race was started in front of the Olympic Stadium in Nouakchott by the Minis- ter for the Civil Service, Labour, Youth and Sport, Baba Ould Sidi. All the national media covered the race, in which 208 people took part. The youngest participants, one girl and one boy, received special awards.

MAURITIUS Under the theme of environmental protection, Olympic Day began with a street-cleaning ope- ration in Vacoas/Phoenix. The race, held on 25 MEXICO June, covered around 15 km between Vacoas/Phoenix town hall and Le Reduit, offi- On 23 June, the Mexican Olympic Sports cial residence of the President of the Republic. More than Centre welcomed nearly 300 men, women and 2,000 people aged from 4 to 70 were welcomed on their arri- children, who took part in the 3 km race star- val by the President, Cassam Uteem. After NOC President ted by the NOC Secretary General, Ricardo Chintaman Rambocus had read out the joint lOC/United Contreras. The Olympic Museum hosted a conference on the Nations message, an IOC certificate was presented to each theme of the Games of the XIX Olympiad, which were held in participant. Mexico City in 1968. IOC certificates were presented to the six winners of the Olympic painting and sculpture competition in the presence of Olympic medallists Joaquín Capilla, Daniel Aceves and Alberto Bremauntz.

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FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA MONGOLIA The third Olympic Day Run took place on the The Olympic Day Run was held on 24 June in islands of Pohnpei and Kosrae. More than 180 five different cities: Ulaanbaatar, Erdenet, Dar- runners gathered at 7 a.m. on 17 June to begin khan, Sukhbaatar and Arvaikheer. A total of the 5 km race on Pohnpei, while 125 ran at the 5,000 people of all ages took part, including same time on Kosrae. In total, there were over fifty more run- members of the Sydney 2000 Olympic team. ners than last year. T-shirts and IOC certificates were distri- The main 2 km race began in Sukhbaatar Square in the capi- buted. tal, Ulaanbaatar. IOC member Shagdarjav Magvan, NOC President Shagdar Otgonbileg, government members and REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA representatives of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and National Sports Council were all in attendance. Mini ten- In the first year of the new millennium, the NOC nis, basketball, roller-skating and tug-of-war tournaments and the Ministry of Education and Science arran- were also organized. The event was well documented in the ged a programme of activities to celebrate Olym- national media. pic Day throughout the country. All Moldovan schools devoted an hour of teaching to the Olym- pic Movement, its history, organization and philosophy. Tea- ching materials prepared by the NOC and Olympic Academy were disseminated. Live broadcasts and numerous special reports on the event were carried by national radio, television and press, The top Moldovan students were invited to a three-day Physical Education Olympiad, where they learned the theory and practice of various sports (athletics, gymnastics, basketball, football, handball and volleyball). All these young people and their teachers took part in the Olympic Day Run on 23 June. Around 35,000 people participated in this annual event in the 11 provinces of the Republic. Trophies, T-shirts and IOC certificates were awarded to the participants by local leaders, NOC representatives and other province officials. The day also included a variety of sports competitions, dancing and music shows.

MOZAMBIQUE Olympic Day celebrations at the Olympafrica Centre in Boane were moved to 8 July because of the 25th anniversary of the inde- pendence of Mozambique. Alongside the traditional races, the programme included volleyball, mini- basketball, football and gymnastics. Almost 2,500 people, including many schoolchildren from the Boane district, participated in the day’s events, which were attended by the vice-president, Secretary General, treasurer and numerous members of the NOC. The joint IOC/United Nations message was read by the President of the Olym- pic Academy, Abel Matsinhe. IOC certificates were presented to all participants. Many reports appeared in the press.

58 NEPAL The race was held on 23 June in the country’s second city, Biratnagar, 350 km east of the capital, Kathmandu. Almost 500 schoolchildren, athletes, coaches, leaders, etc took part. At the Shahid Stadium, where the race started and finished, the runners were sent on their way round the 3 km course by NOC President Rumka Shumsher Rana, who also read the joint IOC/UN message. When the winners’ prizes had been presented, each participant received an IOC certificate. The day’s events were reported in the press and on radio and television. MYANMAR On 24 June, in collaboration with the 36 national sports federations, the NOC organized the Olympic Day 2000 celebrations in each province of Myanmar. Men and women, young and old, took part in the races and other sports activities organized by the federations to celebrate Olympic Day in the capital Yangon and in towns and villages across the country. Overall, 5,000 people ran 10 km and 15,000 took part in other events, The daily and sports press as well as radio and television provided widespread coverage. T-shirts bearing the Olympic emblem and IOC certificates were awarded to all participants. NIGERIA

NAMIBIA The 2000 Olympic Day Run was very well supported, with more than 15,000 runners compe- The 2000 race took place on 24 June in the ting in 17 states. As in previous years, the NOC central and coastal regions of Namibia. worked with the Nigerian “Sport for All” associa- Almost 400 runners covered the distance of tion to organize this traditional event, which was attended by around 5 km after the joint IOC/UN message the various state governors, members of local government had been read out. At the end, refreshments, IOC certifi- and sports bodies. NOC President, Adamu Dyeri, started the cates and T-shirts were awarded to the heroes of Olympic race in Abuja, the capital, in the presence of Frank Thorpe, Day 2000. President of the Nigerian “Sport for All” association. IOC certificates and T-shirts were distributed.

59 NORWAY of 60 m. The qualifying events attracted 32,000 runners, each receiving an IOC certificate and Coca-Cola T-shirt. In ideal running conditions, almost 200 athletes There was a larger number of young athletes this year. The entered the 10 km race, followed an hour later event was covered widely on radio and television and in the by 200 runners over 5 km. Lillehammer’s main newspapers. shopping street, Storgata Street, was once again the focal point of the race, which was held on 17 June 2000.

NEW ZEALAND PAKISTAN On a cold but sunny winter’s day, despite The 2000 race, held in Lahore on 26 Septem- icy roads and snow-covered mountains, ber, was organized by the NOC in close coope- more than 40,000 schoolchildren took part ration with the national sports federations. The in Olympic Day Run 2000. Sponsored by 10 km event attracted 630 runners. Munir the Regional Sports Foundation and “Physical Education Ahmad Dar, a hockey legend and former Olympic team cap- New Zealand”, the event took the theme of “sport for a tain, presented prize money to the first 15 runners, with all culture of peace and respect for the Olympic Truce”. A participants receiving certificates and T-shirts. Pakistani tele- training programme was organized to raise teachers’ awa- vision broadcast the event and there were many reports in reness of the meaning and importance of the Olympic Day the press. Run. Schoolchildren were expected to learn about aspects of the race that clearly represented the principles of modern Olympism: setting a good example, friendship, tolerance and bringing different peoples closer together. Two schools joined together to mark the occasion, while others discovered ways of enabling disabled children to participate in the event. The schools themselves organized media coverage of the event, writing articles for local newspapers.

UZBEKISTAN Olympic Day Run 2000 took place on 18 June in the “Alisher Navoi” national park in Tashkent. Two thousand athletes from the 12 regions of Uzbekistan participated. Fifteen children from the Hamza district kindergarten ran a distance

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PALAU pants, including members of the NOC Executive Board and national sports federations. The event was well docu- The 2nd Olympic Day Run was held in Koror on mented in the press. 24 June. Around 100 runners and walkers covered the 5 km course through the streets of the capital, finishing in the national athletics stadium. A commemorative T-shirt and IOC certificate were awarded to each participant. As far as media coverage is concerned, the event was advertised a month in advance on the radio and in newspapers, while articles were published in the local weeklies “Tia Belau” and “Palau Horizon” a few days after the race.

PARAGUAY The Olympic Week celebrations, held in Asunción from 19 to 24 June, were launched at a press conference. During a special reception attended by sports federation presidents, athletes, volunteers and media representatives, tribute was paid to the founders of the Paraguayan Olympic Committee. More PALESTINE than 1,500 people, including many athletes, pupils from different schools and the police and military training schools, Held under the patronage of the Head of State, took part in the Olympic Day Run, which began and finished Yasser Arafat, the Olympic Day Run began in at the “Excelsior” shopping centre. A conference on sport front of the statue of the unknown soldier. More and the environment was held and stamps commemorating than 300 men, women and children, including the Games of the XXVII Olympiad in Sydney were officially athletes from Germany, Canada, the United launched. States of America, Great Britain, Norway and the Nether- lands, entered the 3, 6 and 10 km races, depending on age, on 7 July. Every runner received an IOC certificate. The event was covered by the written press.

PANAMA Olympic Week, from 18 to 25 June, comprised a programme of activities designed to link sport with culture: softball, baseball (match between Cuba and the Dominican Republic), bowling, judo, basketball, conferences at the Olympic Academy, opening of the new NOC headquarters, an Olympic mass and Olympic dinner. The 10 km race began at 7 a.m. on 25 June at the “El Dorado” shopping centre in Panama. It attracted around 800 partici-

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NETHERLANDS Almost 4,000 people, including many schoolchildren and young sports association members from all over the country, met on 24 June at the “Slagharen” amusement park. IOC member Anton Geesink officially started the 5 km race, in which Olympic athlete Marti ten Kate, who took part in the Games of the XXIV Olympiad in Seoul in 1988, participated. At the end, well deserved refreshments were served and all participants received free entry into the park.

PERU The Peruvian Olympic Academy once again organized the Olympic Day celebrations. The annual race was held on 25 June in eight cities: the capital, Lima, Cusco, Puno, Huancavelica, Huancayo, Chiclayo, Cajamarca and Ayacucho. A total of 5,385 men, women, children, veterans and disabled people took part. Around 90,000 children aged from 6 to 16 from 225 public and private schools in Lima and Callao entered the 10th drawing and painting competition on the theme “Olympism and Sport”. The final at the Olympic Park was attended by 665 children on 25 June.

62 PUERTO RICO More than 400 runners met near the Olympic headquarters to celebrate Olympic Day on 24 June. A 10 km race was held in the streets of San Juan, supported by a large crowd.

POLAND Around 500 runners of all ages entered races over distances ranging from 1.25 to 5 km in the capital, Warsaw, on 21 June. The official guests included lrena Szewinska, IOC member, NOC vice-president and multiple Olympic medal-winning athlete, Maria Kwasniewska-Maleszewska, Olympic medal-winning athlete, Zygmunt Smalcerz, Olympic medal- winning weight lifter, and Mateusz Kusznierewicz, Olympic medallist in sailing. Polish television reported on the event in its news bulletin. A few days afterwards, on 25 June, 248 PORTUGAL runners from all over the country, including one from Ukraine, entered the race held in the southern Polish town of Jastrze- The NOC, in collaboration with the athletics bie Zdrój. The youngest participant was two and a half years federation, organized the traditional Olympic old and the oldest 74. In Jastrzebie Zdrój and Warsaw, all Day Run. On 25 June, 407 men, women and participants received an IOC certificate and Coca-Cola children aged from 9 to over 55, from 56 diffe- T-shirt. The local press publicized and reported on the event. rent clubs, ran either 1.5 or 10 km. Three Kenyan athletes took part in the main race. IOC certificates and T-shirts were gratefully received by all the participants.

63 DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC were held, along with a karate demonstration. There was OF KOREA huge media coverage, with numerous articles in the written press, advertisements on the radio and television and a TV Held in three different cities, the 2000 race was programme called “Olympic Week in Bacau”. At the ope- a great success, attracting 16,000 runners. ning ceremony in the 21 organizing towns, messages from There were 7,500 in Pyongyang, 4,500 in Ham- Romanian President Emil Constantinescu and the IOC and hung and 4,000 in Chongjin. The race was held United Nations were read out. on 23 June, after the joint IOC/UN message had been read out by the NOC vice-presidents who attended the three events. The races were covered by newspapers and television.

ROMANIA Olympic Week 2000 was celebrated from 19 to 24 June in several Romanian cities, where RUSSIAN FEDERATION sports, cultural and educational events were organized. The NOC chose the city of Bacau The 2000 Olympic Day Run was dedicated to to host the national Olympic Day Run. On 24 the 55th anniversary of victory in World War II June, more than 1,000 runners aged between 5 and 78 and the 20th anniversary of the Games of the completed the 5.6 km course. Certificates were awarded to XXII Olympiad held in Moscow in 1980. All the the first 500 and sports equipment to the top three in each activities organized in relation to Olympic Day category. A television set was presented to the family with were placed under the slogan “the world against AIDS and the largest number of members to finish the race. The cul- drugs”. The events were arranged by the NOC, the State tural programme included a scientific conference for stu- Committee for physical education, sport and tourism and dents, organized by the Olympism Department of the Uni- “Sportclub”, the Moscow International Marathon for Peace versity of Bacau, a chance for the younger generation to Fund. On 17 June, 6,630 men, women, children and vete- meet three Olympic champions (Iolanda Balas-Sotter, rans ran distances of 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 km. A 1 km wheel- Mihaela Lipetz-Penes and Doina Melinte), an Olympism chair race was also held. All participants received IOC cer- competition for primary schools, an art exhibition on the tificates and medals bearing the emblem of the Moscow Olympic theme and a stamp exhibition entitled “Cham- Games, while prizes and souvenirs were awarded to the pions”. As far as sports activities were concerned, handball, winners. Races were held until November in all regions of football, basketball, volleyball and aerobics competitions the Russian Federation.

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ST LUCIA On 25 June, 70 runners, the youngest aged 9 and the oldest over 50, began the 10 km race from Gros Islet on the north of the island to William Peter Boulevard in Castries. After the race, NOC President Richard Peterkin awarded each runner an IOC certificate.

ST KITTS AND NEVIS The 5th Olympic Day Run, held on 25 June under the title “the route of the Olympic mile”, attracted 275 runners, including the new Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture, Jacinth ST VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES Henry Martin, Deputy Prime Minister Sam Condor and NOC President Alphonso Bridgewater. Numerous politicians and Held on the last day of Olympic Week (18-25 sports stars attended a religious service held before the race June), the 2000 run took place in Chateaubelair, in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Basseter- with more than 100 entrants. The week’s other re. All the messages were broadcast on prime time national activities included a religious service and a pre- television on 23 June. Olympian Tamara Brudy read the joint sentation on various local radio stations. On 23 June, the IOC/UN message while the Minister for Sport and NOC Pre- joint IOC/United Nations message was read out on radio and sident delivered their speeches in person. T-shirts and certi- television and published in the press. A donation was made ficates were given to all participants and volunteers. to “VINSAVE”, a school for disabled children.

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SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE The two largest towns in the country, Sao Tome and Principe, hosted the race on 24 June. In the capital, Sao Tome, almost 2,000 men, women and children took part. The NOC President read the joint IOC/United Nations message on radio and television. Certificates were given to all participants in both towns.

SIERRA LEONE Organized by the Amateur Athletics Associa- tion on 1 July, the 2000 race involved two groups of runners. The first, comprising Government and Parliament representatives and national sports association presidents, was sent on its way by the Deputy Minister of Youth, Education and Sport, Abbas Collier. The starting pistol for the second group, which included children, young athletes, coaches, the national football team and Olympic team, was fired by the President of the Amateur Athletics Asso- ciation Women’s Committee, Jestina Jones. After the IOC President’s message had been read out by NOC President Henry Moore, the Minister of Youth, Education and Sport, A. T. Wurie, addressed the participants, reminding them of the importance of the Olympic Movement, which even SEYCHELLES unites warring peoples, and asked the NOC to “continue holding events such as this so that we never forget what Organized by the NOC and National Olympic we have experienced”. An IOC certificate was gratefully Academy, fun runs were held in Mahe and La received by each participant. Digue on 23 June and in Praslin on 25 June. NOC President Antonio Gopal officially started SINGAPORE the race in Mahe, reading out the joint IOC/UN message. Meanwhile, NOC member Simon Lespoir did the same in Despite a tropical storm just an hour before the La Digue, where 150 runners, mostly children, took part. start, the race held on 18 June attracted almost On the evening of 24 June, in order to celebrate “sport for 1,300 runners to the Jurong East sports complex. a culture of peace”, a traditional “Moutia Dance” show The race was officially started by MP Wang Kai was organized in Praslin. The following day, as well as the Yuen. As last year, trees were planted in order to race itself, the programme included netball, football and demonstrate that sport can also be involved in protecting the beach volleyball tournaments and water sports. In all, environment. The programme included the following activi- around 800 people from all backgrounds - NOC members, ties: an art competition for children between 6 and 8 on the sports federation and association representatives, school- theme “The Olympic Games” (the best ten entries will be children, members of the general public, etc - and all ages sent to Lausanne for the 2001 IOC art contest), an Olympic (4 to 57) took part. Coca-Cola provided refreshments and history treasure hunt, an Olympic exhibition with a presenta- T-shirts. tion of Olympic hopefuls for Sydney, an Olympic history

66 crossword competition and keep-fit, aerobics and martial art SLOVENIA demonstrations. The Singapore Disabled Sports Council also organized a sailing competition for the disabled on Olympic Olympic Day Runs were held in 13 Slovenian Day 2000. towns between 2 and 25 June, attracting around 5,100 runners. Regular reports and advertisements were broadcast on the two television stations and nine local radio stations and published in the ‘Dnevnik’ national newspaper, In Ihan, the Domzale Sports Association organized a week of sports and cultural activities, including an exhibition entitled “100 years of Olym- pism” in the local school. As last year, each participant received an IOC certificate and a certificate from a Sport for All project called ‘Slovenija tece za zdravje’ (Slovenian Health Run).

SLOVAKIA The 9th Olympic Day Run was held during a “Week of Olympism, Sport and Fun”. NOC vice-president Maria Mracnova launched this special week on Slovakian national radio on 18 June. Organized jointly by the NOC, its 14 Olympic clubs and 58 coordinators, the week’s events gave the opportunity for 118,204 people, including 103,684 children, to take SOMALIA pat-t in sports, cultural and artistic activities. More than 42,000 entered the main race on 23 June. The NOC distri- The streets of the capital, Mogadishu, were the buted race T-shirts, certificates and badges. The “Week of venue for the 12 km run on 24 June, in which Olympism” was covered by television, radio and the press. 250 runners took part. On the same day, a 3 km march for peace was held, involving all the sports leaders, local representatives of non-governmental organizations, athletes, etc. The participants were greeted at the finish by a group of musicians before the various winners received their prizes.

67 SUDAN SRI LANKA On the morning of 23 June, the Karrari district of In order to spread the message of Olympism the capital Khartoum welcomed around 3,000 men, throughout the country, the NOC decided to women, children, veterans and disabled people, hold the first Olympic Day Run of the new mil- who took part in a race covering approximately 10 lennium in Thanamalwila, an isolated farming km. This part of Khartoum has many schools and community around 200 km from Colombo. many displaced persons as a result of the terrible war in the On 25 June, nearly 800 children from 52 different schools in south of Sudan and the Kurdofan region. Tennis and basket- and around Thanamalwila took part in a race almost 10 km ball tournaments were also organized. The various events long. At the finishing line, the IOC President’s message, were widely covered by national television and local media. translated into Sinhala, was read out by NOC President Hemasiri Fernando, who also explained the meaning of the event. As the Sri Lankan army orchestra played in the background, all participants were awarded an IOC certificate.

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SWEDEN Held on 31 August, two weeks before the Games of the XXVII Olympiad began in Sydney, the Olympic Day Run attracted 3,000 participants to Kungsträdgarden, a park in central Stockholm. The winner of the 8.7 km race, Anders Zalkai, competed in the marathon at the Games of the XXVI Olympiad in Atlanta in 1996. Many athletes who had qualified for Sydney were in attendance and gave interviews, as did former Olym- pic champions such as Tomas Gustafson (1988, speed skating), Agneta Andersson (1984 and 1996, canoeing), Bernt Johansson (1976, cycling) and Nils Liedholm (1948, football).

SURINAM The 2000 event took place on 24 June in the capital, Paramaribo, and in Moengo, and on 1 July in Meerzog. Sports director Dr Phoelsingh started the 5 km race in Paramaribo, in which 535 young people and 98 veterans took part. The 10 km event attracted 42 athletes. On the same day in Moengo, 64 people took part. The first race to be held in Meerzog attracted some 53 children and veterans. The events were reported on the main television channels and in national newspapers.

SWITZERLAND

This year, two Olympic Day Runs were held in Switzerland. The first took place in Attinghausen on 28 May. Known as the “Tell Trophy”, the event comprised the lo-league “William Tell GP”, school cross-country SWAZILAND and rollerblading championships and the children’s “Piccololauf” race, attracting a total of 451 participants The regions of Mhlume, Tabankulu, Nkambeni aged from 2 to 66. In Payerne on 12 June, around and Lobamba hosted the 2000 Olympic Day 150 runners took part in the half-marathon (21.1 km), Run under the theme “a race for peace”. On while thirty skaters and more than 100 runners entered 17 June, Mhlume opened the festivities with the 10 km event. 29 entrants in a 5 km fun run and five football

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matches between teams from the region. The following day, 26 people ran 10 km in Tabankulu, where more than 100 children took part in a football tournament. In Nkam- beni, the race held on 24 June was a great success, with 203 runners. The programme also included basketball, boxing and even dancing and majorettes. The main event took place at the new Olympafrica Centre in Lobamba on 25 June, coinciding with the end of the first session of the Swaziland Olympic Academy. There were 190 official participants, including 40 members of the Deaf Association, although many children also took part without being officially counted. All participants signed the “For a culture of peace” poster, while the under-17 football teams from Swaziland and Botswana signed footballs before their COSAFA Cup match. Horse-riding and taekwondo demonstrations were also organized. UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA Olympic Day Run 2000 consisted of three races: 2.5 km for children under 8 and disabled people, 5 km for women and the over- 55s, and 10 km for everyone else. In all, 698 runners of all ages took part in the events held in Mwanza on 23 June.

CHINESE TAIPEI In spite of persistent rain, almost 3,000 people, young and old alike, met at dawn (6 a.m.) on 11 June at the “Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall” square. NOC President Tho- mas Ta-Chou Huang, Chair of the National Physical Edu- cation and Sports Council, Hsu I-Hsiung, the Mayor of Taipei and long-standing participant, Ma Ying-Jeou, and the Managing Director of race sponsor “Nu Skin Taiwan CZECH REPUBLIC Inc”, Chen Liang-chih, shared the honour of starting the race, which took the theme of “Running for a culture of Organized by the NOC and Czech Olympians’ peace”. Henry Hsu, an 89-year old IOC honorary member, Club, Olympic Day Runs were held in 12 diffe- took part in a warm-up session held before the race. An rent cities. Nearly 6,500 people aged between exhibition of photographs showing the various Olympic 3 and 70 began the race at 5 p.m., with the Games was displayed at the race venue. At the end of the start broadcast live on radio in some areas. Olympic athletes 3 and 10 km races, the NOC President and other officials and cultural and sports personalities officially got the races presented trophies to the winners. under way.

70 TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO Organized once again in the form of a relay race along Brian Lara Promenade (named after the famous cricketer) in Port of Spain, the first race of the new millennium was held on 24 June and attracted 62 teams of 4 people, i.e. 248 participants in total, each of whom ran 6 km. The race was started by the French Ambassador in Port of Spain. Representing schools, companies and sports and athletics clubs, all the runners received an IOC certificate and a special commemorative pen.

TOGO Olympic Day Run 2000 was held on 24 and 25 June in the towns of Notsé and Tsévié. Before the races began, a message from the Presi- dent of Togo, Gnassingbé Eyadema was read to the participants In both Notsé and Tsévié, children aged from 7 to 9 began the event with a 1500 m race. A total of 90 boys and 60 girls took part. Then 100 boys and 80 girls aged 10 to 14 ran a 4 km race, followed by a 5 km event for the over-15s (200 boys and 100 girls). As last year, a tricycle race for the disabled and a walk for older people were held, as well as basketball, handball and volleyball matches. Once the events were over, T-shirts and IOC certificates were awarded to all participants. The NOC also gave footballs, handballs and vol- leyballs to the young runners.

TUNISIA On the Day of Sport and the Olympic Ideal, designated as 1 July by the Tunisian President, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, numerous ceremonies and competitions were held throughout the country. In the Olympic city of El Menzah, the annual national and Olympic flag-raising ceremony was enlivened by the presence of the Minister of Youth, Children and Sport, Raouf Najjar, and the Governor of Tunis. Then, boys and girls of all ages ran distances of 1, 3 and 5 km in races organized by the NOC in cooperation with the Tunisian athletics, school and university sports federations. A seminar on the theme of “Olympic education and the quest for success” was also held.

71 caps, etc were also distributed. As usual, the event was well documented by radio, television and the written press.

TURKEY Held in three cities, the race on 28 June 2000 attracted a total of 3,206 participants. In VIRGIN ISLANDS Gaziantep, 800 men and women aged between 10 and 70, including Governor Muammer Guler The race on St Croix took place on 10 June, and the Mayor, Celal Dogan, ran a distance of 5 km. In when 35 runners gathered at 7 a.m. to run a Kayseri, 1,095 people aged 12 to 60 took part, while in two-mile course from Fort Frederik to Rain- Konya, Deputy Governor Mustafa Erdogan and General bow Beach and back. This year, tombolas Director of Youth and Sport, Necati Yegenoglu, were among were organized for all those finishing in under 12, 14 and the 1,311 people who entered a 5 km race. 16 minutes, with a fourth one for all other participants. The winners received lime and mango trees, which they agreed to plant and look after throughout the coming Olympiad until the 2004 race. On 25 June, 62 runners and walkers from St Thomas and St John completed the 5 km course from Maho Bay to Annaberg and back. A 1.5 mile swimming race was also held. IOC certificates, NOC Olympic badges and official T-shirts were given to all participants in each race.

URUGUAY Despite inclement weather, almost 1,000 people of all ages, including many athletes who had qualified for the Games in Sydney, entered either the 3 or 10 km Olympic Day Run held on 25 August at the Battle Park athletics track in Montevideo. All participants were entered into a raffle, with bicycles as prizes. IOC certificates, stickers, rucksacks,

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BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS YEMEN This year’s Olympic Day Run coincided with the On 23 June, the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, hosted month of athletics organized by the Department 3 and 10 km races in which around 3,000 for Leisure and Sport. The NOC chose three men, women and children took part. The joint starting points: Road Town, East End and The IOC/UN message was read in Arabic by the Valley. At 5.30 a.m. on 24 June, almost 150 schoolchildren, NOC Secretary General, Mohamed Al Ahjri. sports enthusiasts and club members began the 10 km race, The event was covered in numerous articles and reports in which was followed by the presentation of IOC certificates the national media. Winners’ prizes, Coca-Cola T-shirts and and Coca-Cola T-shirts. IOC certificates were handed out.

YUGOSLAVIA VIETNAM As in previous years, the 10 km Olympic Day Run was held around the edge of the “Sava” A total of 16,000 people entered the 3, 5 and 10 artificial lake in the “Ada Ciganlija” sports com- km races held in the province of Lang Son and plex. Watched by thousands of spectators, in the cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh. NOC around 1,000 runners of all ages took part in the race held on President Ha Quang Du joined the 5,000 parti- 23 June and started by Franjo Mihalic, marathon silver cipants in Lang Son province and presented the IOC certifi- medallist at the Games of the XVI Olympiad held in Melbourne cates in 1956. IOC certificates and T-shirts were given out. Comprehensive coverage of the event was provided by radio, television and the written press.

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ZAMBIA On 25 June, 570 runners took part in the 10 km race through the main streets of the capital, Lusaka. At the same time, in Kitwe, children from 11 primary schools joined the numerous participants to celebrate the first Olympic Day of the new millennium. All participants were delighted to receive an IOC certificate and refreshments in both Lusaka and Kitwe.

Photos: National Olympic Committees (RSA, ALG, ANT, AHO, KSA, ARG, ARM, APU, AUS, AZE, BAH, URN, BAN, BLR, BlZ, BEN, BHU, BOL, BRA, BRU, BUL, CAM, CMR, CPV, CAF, CHI, CHN, CYP, COL, COM, COK, KOR, CRC, CIV, CRO, CUB, DEN, DMA, EGY, ESA, ECU, ESP, MKD, FIN, GAB, GAM, GEO, GHA, GRN, GUM, GUA, GUI, HON, HKG, HUN, IND, ISR, ITA, JAM, JOR, KAZ, KEN, LAO, LES, LAT, LIB, LBR, MAD, MAS, MAW, MLI, MLT, MRI, MTN, MEX, MDA, MGL, MOZ, NAM, NEP, NGR, UZB, PAK, PLW, PAN, PAR, PER, POL, PUR, POR, PRK, ROM, RUS, SKN, LCA, VIN, STP, SEY, SIN, SVK, SLO, SOM, SUD, SRI, SWE, SUI, SUR, SWZ, TPE, TAN, CZE, TOG, TRI, TUR, URU, ISV, IVB, VIE, YEM, YUG, ZAM) – Becker Bredel (GER) – French Sporting and Cultural Federation - A. Gillen (LUX) – Morten Gran (NOR) - Béchir Manoubi (TUN) – Jordi Pantebre i Trasff (AND) - Juazas Salkauskas (LTU) – Jón Svavarsson (ISL) - Mark Thompson/Allsport (GBR) - Auke Pluin/Cross-Fade Video (NED).