GLOBAL RUNNING DAY 2017: Yes, we runners also have our "day of". There are of all tastes and colors, there is no object, geographical accident or movement that does not have its day of vindication and visibility. We were not going to be less and we have our"Global Running Day 2017". It will be held on Wednesday, June 7, it will be the second edition and it is intended that runners from around the world come together to share a common hobby: running. The ultimate goal is to inspire others to get going.
All athletics associations and the IAAF support this day which, in the inaugural 2016 edition achieved spectacular data . Around 25 million people from 177 countries, including some 700,000 children, ran some 92 million miles (15 million kilometers) on the first Global Running Day.
For this edition, the goals are even more ambitious: to run 10 million miles, to cover all countries and territories, and to involve one million children.
The Million Kid Run will be the focus of Global Running Day.
The objective of this race is to get children to practicerunning as a way to get moving and stay healthy. Participation is very simple and can range from a run around the block to longer distance races.
Many elite athletes support the initiative, including eight-time Olympic champion and the world's fastest man, Jamaican Usain Bolt.
I am happy to support Global Running Day and encourage all young people around the world to run on June 7," said Bolt.
To participate you must enter the Global Running Day website, fill in the questionnaire and the distance you are going to run and tell the motivation that leads you to do it. You can also support the initiative using the hashtag #GlobalRunningDay.
The growth of the running phenomenon, the proliferation of popular races and marathons around the world has put researchers from the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona and the Cluster of the sports industry to work.
From their research work it is clear that the growing promotion of health through sport has been largely responsible for this increase. Citizens are increasingly aware of the importance of sport and nowadays regular physical activity is associated with health.
This has led to running becoming a way of life.
We must not forget that social networks have reinforced the concept of body worship, what we call "postureo".
And let's not forget that the economic crisis has made us rely on sport to channel stressful situations or downtime that came with unemployment.
I found it very curious another research that has been done related to running. In this case it has been carried out by the Adecco Foundation. It has been asked how much solidarity weighs when we do sport. And it is not a simple question, far from it. It is becoming more and more common to use running as a means of raising awareness of social or health causes, illnesses, citizens' movements, etc. Virtually all popular races have behind them a call for solidarity. And look, these appeals are strong enough to make a runner choose one race or another. In fact, 73% of regular runners say that solidarity is "decisive" to tip the balance when two races coincide at the same time. If we have to choose, we choose the one with a solidarity purpose.
It is true that you can show solidarity in many ways: volunteering, collaborating with NGOs, etc., but it is not always easy to find the time to do it. So participating in solidarity races is becoming the way to exercise our desire to help other people or entities. You combine solidarity and your hobby, running, and at the same time you make sure that the amount of the race bib will go to support this or that cause.
There are two causes with which we feel more identified, gender violence and diseases.
It is especially women who choose to run for the benefit of organizations that work to eradicate gender violence. Seventy-three percent of women choose them, compared to 46% of men. They, in general, choose races that denounce war conflicts or advocate for the inclusion of people with disabilities.
In short, running is about much more than just running. I always say that it's more than just putting one foot in front of the other the faster the better. Running brings us many things physically and emotionally, but it has become an essential channel to show our most human face.
For me, for example, solidarity and running has led me to sell my Behobia-San Sebastian kilometers, to run with a group of illegal immigrants in Santander and to run the Sahara Marathon through refugee camps. It's a nice story. Another day I'll tell it to you.
For now, on June 7, it's time to run and celebrate Global Running Day.
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