Good morning Lapland! The team flurries to clean up their cabin before departure...
We drive to Pello Peace Bridge...
A soulful moment for World Peace...
We run over Tornionjoki - Torne River to Sweden...
Pello is a twin-city. Half of it is in Sweden and half of it is in Finland...
Swedish police...
Back to Finland...
The border is in the middle of the bridge...
From here we start running south...
The wind is fierce outside. In the sheltered haven of the car Lauri focuses on the task ahead...
Sheesh!... It's freezing!
The wind subsides at times...
The team has reached the Arctic Circle! It is marked by the white line...
Behind Anne, Chetana and Iiris runs The Torne River that we've been running along...
The difference in temperature on both sides of the Arctic Circle is remarkable...
North and South terr-i-tory,
Run together in perfect harmony,
Side by side 'long the Arctic Circle,
Oneness-ecstasy...
(Sung to the tune of Ebony and Ivory)
We drive to Tornio Peace Golf Course, where we meet energetic runners from Tornion Latu and Polku...
We will run together 14 km...
Running further along the Torne River. Along the river there are several twin cities with Sweden. Tornio's twin city is Haaparanta (Swedish: Haparanda). At Tornio's south coast Torne River flows into the north tip of the Gulf of Bothnia...
The team runs on an isthmus separating the Torne river (located a few blocks towards the left) into a large lake on the right. Here on the south tip of the isthmus is a fine shopping centre. When you walk out, in a few metres you are on the border to Sweden. Currently they are building a Swedish shopping centre opposite this Finnish one, plus several other communal buildings like a school. "There is true oneness between these cities", a radiant wife of one of the runners tells us, "It is wonderful to live in a place where one feels such peace".
Halfway to Kemi, the team is supplemented by great runners from Kemin Into...
A big thank you to Tornion Latu ja Polku!
With Kemin Into we run a further 14 km towards Kemi square...
There is a cold wind blowing over Kemi square, but it is very inspiring...
A big thank you to Kemin Into!
We also want to especially thank Kemin Into for providing our accommodation tonight in their camp premises, located beautifully by the north-west tip of the Gulf of Bothnia. Kalevi (centre) tells us a bit about the sports organisations history. It has among other things nurtured athletes who went on to become famous wrestlers and boxers. Kalevi, an avid soccer player, served as the chairman of Kemin Into's Veteran Department for nearly 20 years until 2007, when the sports organisation celebrated its 100 year anniversary.
