The Global Telegraph - April 2002
brought to you by Run The Planet / April 2002 edition / 9
The Global Telegraph is published 12 times a year
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Run The Planet.
Editor
Indro Neri
Associate editor
Jennifer Walker
Contributors
Luis E. Arribas
Franco Civai
Hélio A. Fontes
O. Atakan Tekin
Tero Töyrylä
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featured nation This month we feature running news from: Arkansas (Usa), Bhutan, Brazil, Cyprus, New York (Usa)
• NEW YORK (USA) / A group trip to the New York City Marathon
The American Lung Association Running Club announces its 15th Annual
group trip to the "New York City Marathon" Sunday November 3, 2002. Anyone can join the hundreds of ALARCers who in the past have enjoyed running the Big Apple. The "New York City Marathon" is the world's largest one day sports event with 30,000 runners and two million spectators. The group trip includes five days, four nights at The Gorham hotel in mid-Manhattan, RT air, transfers, hotel taxes and luggage tip, 1st night Get-to-Know-You Dinner and, very important, a private charter bus to the start. The bus saves about two hours sleep! Non-running support and/or spectators are always welcome as are new members. If not a member, you can join now. Race entries are only by random lottery in mid-June or cancelled entries from last year. Runners with qualified fast times are also guaranteed entry. Complete entry information is on the ALARC website www.alarc.com under Running Vacations. Like the Manhattan cabbie said "If youse ain't dun da Noo Yawke City Marytun, youse ain't dunt!"
• BRAZIL / A running event in the mud
What can be more challenging than a marathon on a mud hilly slippery course? It was exactly what more than three hundreds of courageous athletes got at the "Maratona Trilheira" on March 24. It rained a lot during this cross-country 36 kilometers race, so there was many runners falling down and it was very difficult to run at some parts of the course. The winners were João Pires Lins (2:10.28) and Ana Maria Ferreira Duarte (2:55.23). Source: http://www.copacabanarunners.net
• ARKANSAS (USA) / Running shoes for Eritrea
While this ex Razorback may still be unknown in northwest Arkansas, 24 year old Awet Tsehaye is a local hero to the people of his native country of Eritrea, Africa. After organizing a 5k race last April to pay for shipment of over 10,000 pounds of second-hand goods to the poor of Eritrea, Tsehaye bought his own ticket home to personally ensure the items were distributed to the right people. The overwhelming response of the Eritrean people to Tsehaye's visit, have inspired him to keep the "Arkansas Cares" race going. Arkansas Cares is a non-profit organization devoted to making a positive change in people's lives in the community and in the African nation of Eritrea by collecting second hand goods, such as shoes, books, school supplies, clothing and toys, and distributing them to displaced, needy, and unfortunate people in Eritrea, and eventually throughout the world. As a child growing up in Eritrea, Tsehaye lived in poverty, as do a majority of the population there, not having running water or electricity. When he immigrated to the United States and began running track for the Razorbacks, he saw an opportunity to help the people of his homeland by gathering used running shoes to send to them. Starting with the shoes on his feet in 1998, Tsehaye began collecting "retired" shoes from other runners and friends, and before long, word spread and his collection grew to over 250 pair. Along with employees of the Eritrean Relief & Refugee Commission, Tsehaye delivered an estimated $100,000 worth of items to the poor living in the Mai-Wuray refugee camp. Tsehaye's visit made national headlines in Eritrean television and newspapers. One headline that ran with his story was a quote from Tsehaye: "If I have made a difference in one person's life, then it was worth it". For applications and more information on the race, visit www.arkansascares.org, call Awet Tsehaye at (479) 587-1587 or email arkansascares@mailcity.com. Race day festivities include members of the African Student Organization in traditional dress, flags of countries all over the world at the finish line and native African music.
• BHUTAN / Kingdom of Bhutan to stage inaugural marathon
The remote Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan will host its first international running competition on November 13, 2002, with the inaugural running of the "Bhutan International Marathon". The Kingdom of Bhutan is a quiet nation perched in the Himalayas between India and Tibet just east of Nepal. Even though a trickle of tourists has been allowed into the country since 1974, Bhutan remains something of a closed country. Only 8,000 foreign travelers visit Bhutan annually. Needless to say, this is a rare opportunity for runners: the field for the inaugural marathon will be limited to 350 international runners. The race will support the fledgling Olympic development program in Bhutan. The rolling point-to-point course on paved roads is at an average altitude of 2300 meters (7500 feet) above sea level. The marathon will begin near the village of Paro, site of the country's only airport, and ends in Thimphu, the capital city. The marathon is being held during the three-day celebration of His Royal Highness King Jigme Singye Wangchuck's 47th birthday, so there will a wide range of festivities available for participants to attend. Additional details are available on the official website www.bhutanmarathon.com.
• CYPRUS / Belgian runner Dekeirel sets the pace, wins the race
A bright sunny morning assisted in producing a festive atmosphere as 500 runners assembled for the Pafos Marathon, half marathon and 10km. The events, which were successfully organised by Niki Sports Management, started and finished at the Pafos Medieval Fort square. The starting gun was fired by the Mayor of Pafos Phidias Sarikas. Most of the runners came from abroad, with participants from 15 different countries. The Belgian runner Pol Dekeirel won the marathon finishing in a time of 2:48.58. Abdelkader Ben-Mohamed from France was second in 2:48.59. Seidel Susanne of Germany clocking 3:25.55 won the women's race with Susan Preston from the United Kingdom in second place with a time of 3:48.59.
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