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World Harmony Run arrives in Belarus 25 June

GOMEL, 24 June (BelTA) – The Torch Relay “The Run of Friendship" will arrive in Belarus on 25 June, BelTA learnt from the Ministry of Sport and Tourism. In 2011, The Run of Friendship (international name World Harmony Run) will be held locally in 70 countries. Belarus will make part of the relay which connects Europe and Asia. The relay kicked off in May in Vienna. On 25 June an international team of runners will cross the Belarusian-Ukrainian border checkpoint Veselovka in Gomel Oblast at 12h00. It is planned that the participants will visit the opening ceremony of the festival of Slavonic nations “Slavonic Unity-2011” at the Monument of Friendship on the border of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. This event will be the culmination of the relay in Eastern Europe. The relay in Belarus will be 670km long and span such cities as Dobrush (25 June, 17h00), Gomel (25 June, 18h00), Rechitsa (26 June, 11h00), Kalinkovichi (26 June, 15h00), Mozyr (26 June, 17h00), Mikashevichi (27 June, 13h00), Soligorsk (27 June, 17h00), Slutsk (28 June, 11h00) and Minsk (28 June, 15h30). World Harmony Run represents a continuous running of athletes in daylight hours. The international team is joined by local athletes and amateur runners in every participating country. The relay is open to both professionals and amateurs. During the race its participants are warmly welcomed by local authorities and general public. The relay is supported by the governments of different countries and civil organizations. In Belarus it is held under the auspices of the Presidential Administration and the Sports and Tourism Ministry. The world’s largest torch relay for international friendship was founded over 20 years ago and is the world’s longest relay race. It was founded by Indian philosopher, writer and athlete Sri Chinmoy in 1987 (he died in 2007 at the age of 76). He believed that the idea of the relay organized for promoting peace and harmony, international friendship and understanding would be hailed in many countries. The relay race finishes in China in September.

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