Three thousand Lankan athletes for International Run for Peace

Three thousand Sri Lankan athletes will take part in the International Run for Peace which will be worked in Colombo on September 18,2005 and in Vavuniya on September 25, 2005.

The run in Colombo will consist of a marathon of 42 kilometres and two mini marathons of 10 kms and 5 kms respectively while the run in Vavuniya will comprise a half marathon (21 kilometres) and two mini marathons of 10 kms and 5 kms respectively.

The International Run for Peace is being organised by the Asian German Sports Exchange Programme in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and sponsored by Holcim.

The Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Jeevan Kumaratunga has declared the International Run as a national event and is giving it maximum support to make it a success. The run is being conducted with the intention of bringing together athletes from different countries under the theme connecting sports people and to promote Sri Lanka as a tourist destination.

Besides the Sri Lankan athletes 1000 runners from Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, England and Sweden will take part along with 700 competitors from Japan, China, Pakistan, Maldives and Thailand with 300 athletes from USA, New Zealand and Australia.

The AGSEP is also negotiating with Aitken Spence Travels to offer tour packages for the foreign runners combining the run with sightseeing tours which will be a boost for Sri Lanka's tourist industry.

Yann Stahmer from Hamburg, Germany and Sebastian Nickel from Magdeburg, Germany are the Co-ordinators of the International run and are taking great pains to make it a success.