Peace relay coming to area
Tuesday, June 21, 2005 8:11 AM PDT
By The Daily News
Printable version
E-mail this articleA relay run across the length and breadth of the United States and dedicated to world peace will pass through Columbia and Cowlitz counties Friday.
Runners participating in the World Harmony Run carry a flaming torch to symbolize their search for world harmony through sports.
The 11,000-mile run within the United States is part of a 70-nation global relay. It has been held every other year since 1987, according to a World Harmony Run press release.
Organizers say they are not asking for any money and are not highlighting any specific political cause. They're simply trying to create goodwill among people of all nationalities and backgrounds. Nine-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis is among the run's backers.
It's possible some kind of welcoming ceremony for the team of 11 runners may be held in Longview Friday afternoon, but as of Monday no plans had been set, according to Lee Berube, the San Diego-based U.S coordinator for the relay.
Friday, runners will start from Portland, head up Highway 30 to Rainier, cross the Lewis and Clark Bridge and arrive in Longview at about 1:30 p.m., Berube said.
From Longview, the runners will sweep up West Side Highway to Castle Rock and spend the night in Vader, Chehalis or Centralia, Berube said.
The team of runners is already set, but "we invite anyone to run with us and run with the torch," Berube said in a phone interview Monday.
The World Harmony run was the inspiration of Sri Chinmoy, a native of India who now lives in New York. Simultaneous with the run in the U.S., World Harmony Run teams are jogging across Europe, Russia and Australia and just completed relays in China and the Caribbean, Berube said.
The U.S. relay started April 16 in New York City.
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