Minister of Education, Katrín Jakobsdóttir started the Peace Run in Laugardalur, Reykjavik’s largest recreational park, yesterday. The Peace Run is an international torch relay race, with the purpose of promoting peace, friendship and understanding, visir.is reports.
Laugardalur. Photo by Páll Kjartansson.
„It as a very nice ceremony,” says organizer Torfi Leósson. The torch will be carried all over Iceland from July 1.-16. Thirty volunteer runners of fifteen nationalities will be carrying the Peace Torch, as well as a number of Icelanders.
The Peace Run concludes on July 16th in Reykjavik’s city center, by the Pond, where Vilhjálmur Þ. Vilhjálmsson, City Council President, will accept the torch.
Leósson hopes the principal Peace Run supporters through the years will be present, for example Iceland’s former president, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, its protector for many years.
The Peace Run started in 1987 and Iceland has participated from the beginning. Its international spokesman is nine time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis. Among other participants have been Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa and Muhammad Ali.
The Peace Run does not collect funds and neither does it seek support for a political cause,” explains Leósson who first participated in the run in 1989, only eleven years of age.
