Des. 3, 2024 Live from the road

Vatican - Pecs

Reported by International runners 21000.0 km

On March 6 the European Peace Run starts in Vatican City.

His Holiness, the Pope, lights the torch that will be carried by runners on a 21,000 kilometre journey through Europe.

Vatican City.

The President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, receives the Peace Torch in March.

President Petr Pavel runs with the Peace Torch.

Former England and Liverpool striker, Michael Owen, holds the Peace Torch in October in Bulgaria.

Ambassador Denise Campbell Bauer, of California, American Ambassador to the French Republic and the Principality of Monaco, holds the Peace Torch in the American Embassy in Paris in May.

The Peace Run team are invited to present the Peace Torch at the American Embassy in Paris.

The event at the American Embassy is organised by Cathy Oerter. Cathy Oerter founded the Al Oerter Foundation with her husband, the famous American Discus Champion Al Oerter. She was an accomplished athlete herself and continues to inspire people around the world with Art programmes, and her partnership with the Peace Run.

On April 24 in Italy, Gabriella Paruzzi holds the Peace Torch. Gabriella is a Cross Country Skier who participated in 5 Olympic Games, winning a gold medal and four bronze medals.

Francis Obikwelu (left), silver medallist at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games holds the Peace Torch on March 8 in Portugal.

Diane de Coubertin is the Grand Niece of the founder of the modern Olympic Games, Pierre de Coubertin. In this photograph she is visiting the Peace Flame installed by the Peace Run in Bulgaria.

High up in the French Pyrenees, Nicolas Lopez, the French Olympic Gold medallist in Fencing, receives the Peace Run Torch Bearer Award.

Olympic Bulgarian Judo champion, Ivaylo Ivanov, shares his words of Peace in October.

Diane de Coubertin.

Stefka Kostadinova (second from left) is the Director of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee (BOC). An exceptional athlete, she held the Women's World Record in the High Jump for 37 years.

This year, many 'Peace Trees' were planted across Europe.

In Colombes, Paris, several athletes and children participate in a Peace Run organised by Diane de Coubertin. In the wheelchair on the left is 100 year old French Olympian Charles Coste. Charles Coste participated in the 1948 Olympic Games in London, in the cycling team pursuit. Charles featured in the Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games this year, with Peace Run ambassador Carl Lewis.

Holding the Peace Torch is Edward Maalouf. At the Paralympics in Beijing, Edward Maalouf won two bronze medals in Hand Cycle. He was the only representative from Lebanon.

From the left Chairman of the Bulgarian Association of Sports Journalists, Naiden Todorov, Valentina Georgieva, an Olympic athlete in artistic gymnastics, Evelina Nikolova, an Olympic bronze medallist from Tokyo 2020 and one of Bulgaria's most successful wrestlers, Jem Yumerov, an active young man engaged in the inspiring activities of the 'Touch the Rainbow' Association.

French-Algerian long jump champion Kader Klouchi, who competed in the 1992 Olympic games in Barcelona, holds the torch with his young daughter.

Paralympic athlete, Sarah Will, holds the torch with Princess Maharani from Indonesia. Sarah is an artist and paralympic skiier from the USA. She competed in four Winter Olympic Games between 1992 and 2002.

Monks in Spain hold the Peace Torch.

In Lourdes, France, the Peace Run is welcomed.

A Bosnian Mayor and a Croatian Mayor, representing two towns that lie on either side of the river, stand united for Peace.

State secretary of Moldova.

The Peace Run team at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Diane de Coubertin meets Olympic Snowboard Champion Alexandra Zhekova at the National Museum of Sports in Bulgaria.

Mr Sergiu Gurin, State Secretary for Youth and Sports, holds the Peace Torch with his colleagues from the Ministry of Education and Research in Moldova.

A traditional greeting in Bulgaria.

Portugal.

Albania.

Portuguese children.

Slovenia.

Czech Republic.

Bulgaria.

Spain.

Croatia.

in the French Pyrenees.

Finland.

A young champion boxer carries the Peace Torch in Serbia.

Finland.

The Peace Run participates in the Skopje marathon.

Poland.

Hungary.

Wales.

Finland.

Slovakia.

Outside the United Nations building in Geneva.

Germany.

Hungary.

Malta.

Serbia.

Latvia.

Latvia.

The United Kingdom.

North Macedonia.

Portugal.

Serbia.

Romania.

The Spanish fog.

Sweden.

Slovakia.

Slovenia.

Switzerland.

Malta.

Portugese and Spanish Mayors.

Torch carried by
International runners (Europe).  
Photographers
International runners
The torch has travelled 21000.0 km from Vatican to Pecs.

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