Stops planned for Woodstock, Nackawic, Hartland as part of international tour

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By Jeffrey Bento-Carrier

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The 2008 World Harmony Run (WHR), an annual international event designed to promote friendship across the globe, is coming to the River Valley region on Saturday, Sept. 6.

The event will include stops in Woodstock, Nackawic and Hartland.

The Canada-wide leg of the WHR started in Cape Spear, Newfoundland and Labrador, on Sept. 1.

The Canadian team are joined by runners from Scotland, Switzerland, Australia and the Czech Republic for WHR's national trek of the 10 provinces and three territories.

"World Harmony Run Canada 2008 began on the Atlantic coast at Cape Spear, the easternmost point of land in North America," said a recent release from the tour's organizers. "We are thrilled to be on the road and westward bound for Vancouver. We plan to arrive there Oct. 10 after an 8,700 kilometre trek across our great and beautiful land. In total, 10 international runners will make-up our Canadian team. Preparations are also underway for activities in more than 170 communities along our cross-country tour.

"The World Harmony Run has blossomed into a truly global initiative which seeks to foster, in a dynamic way, the universal spirit of harmony that transcends cultural and national boundaries."

The Harmony Run's worldwide activities began in March, and thousands of miles have already been covered in Europe, Africa and Australia.

One hundred countries are participating in the 2008 run, which is the largest number since the run began more than 20 years ago.

"A new and exciting feature of the Canadian run is the international nature of the 2008 core team, as athletes from earlier sections of the run are travelling to Canada, and will join the Canadian team," said the release. "Also new to the 2008 event is an inter-mayoral run linking municipal leaders across the country. Mayors from 120 communities are invited to run a short distance and pass the torch to team members who will relay the torch to their neighbouring municipal official. This new feature reinforces the symbolic sharing of the harmony spirit. The World Harmony Run enjoys the generous support of many international figures including Nelson Mandela and Mikhail Gorbachev; Olympic athletes Carl Lewis and Tatiana Lebedeva, the legendary Muhammad Ali; world marathon record-holder Paula Radcliffe, and singer Roberta Flack."

The participants will relay their flaming torches on Saturday, starting from the Fredericton City Hall at 9 a.m. They will then stop in Woodstock for a civic reception from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Participants will meet on the Greenway on King Street, across from Newnham and Slipp.

Mayor Art Slipp and local supporters will welcome the WHR participants and take part in the Woodstock portion of the relay, which will run out Connell Street to the Trans Canada Highway.

From there, the WHR will make its way to Nackawic for a 4:15 run from the town hall, an event which will feature the community's mayor, Rowena Simpson.

The tour's third stop of the day is planned for Hartland at 4:39 p.m. from the town's municipal hall.

Those wishing more information on the tour may visit www.worldharmonyrun.org/Canada.