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.
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