Story & photo Eve Jeffery
Last Friday a small group of men ran into the Byron Shire in the name of peace. The Peace Run is history’s largest and longest running relay, having visited over 140 nations since its inception in 1987. Unlike many other runs, the Peace Run is not raising money, it is non-political, non-religious and non-commercial. It simply strives to create goodwill among people of all nations.
Relay teams bring the Peace Torch to schoolchildren, community groups and civic leaders. By passing the torch from one person to the next, the relay offers people from many nations the opportunity to express their hopes and dreams for a better, brighter future. People from all walks of life hold the symbolic torch to wish for a peaceful world. Passing the torch from one person to the next unites us together in our common aspiration to offer something positive to our world.
This year a team of runners from many nations are encircling the entire country – 15,000 kms in 112 days – starting and finishing in Canberra.
The torch entered the shire in the hands of Mongolian runner Purevdorj Dashzegve who passed it to Englishman Bahumanya Guy at Ocean Shores, part of the four man team for this leg of the run from Murwillumbah to Byron Bay on Friday afternoon. The runners rested overnight in Byron before heading off toward Ballina on Saturday morning.
You can keep track of the Peace Torch by visiting the website: peacerun.org/au.
