The ABC of Running

• Code name - The ABC of Running
• Mission - Run in cities whose initial is a different letter of the alphabet and complete them all, from A to Z
• Expiration date - None
• Activation - Send us a "Activate mission" message (info(at)runtheplanet.com) including your name and nationality
• Report - Send us a "Mission completed" message (info(at)runtheplanet.com) including your name and running biography
• Reward - Download your "Mission completed" T-Shirt logo [under construction]

Take a word from a language. Break it down into sounds. Assign symbols to represent each sound or sounds and you have an alphabet. The name is derived from the first two letters of the Greek alphabet; alpha and beta. An alphabet is very different from other systems such as pictographic systems, ideographic systems, or syllabaries. A picture of an object is the spoken word for the object in a pictographic system. In an ideographic system, pictures are combined to represent ideas that cannot be expressed through a single picture. Finally, syllabaries are symbols that represent each syllable in a word. The cuneiform of the ancient Babylonians, Egyptian hieroglyphs, and the Chinese and Japanese written symbols are examples of pictographic-ideographic systems.

The transition to an alphabet comes when the picture represents a sound. More often than not, the sound is derived from the spoken word for the object. The Semitic spoken word for house was "beth". It came to symbolize the initial "b" sound of "beth" and eventually the "b" in the English alphabet. Many scholars believe that first alphabet was the North Semitic alphabet, which developed along the eastern Mediterranean between 1700 and 1500 bC. This alphabet consisted of consonants exclusively. Several variations later, the Greeks added a couple of consonants and set aside some of the letters for vowels. This developed into the Roman alphabet. Roman conquests and the spread of Latin allowed their alphabet to become the basis for all languges throughout Western Europe. Of course, there are many other alphabets throughout the world. Named for one of its inventors, Saint Cyril, the Cyrillic alphabet also stems from the Greek. Primarliy used by the Islamic world, the Arabic alphabet was derived from the Semitic one. Most of the alphabets were adapted and developed over time. Some were just created such as the Armenian alphabet, which was invented by Saint Mesrob in 405. The Mongolian hP'ags-Pa script is written from top to bottom and was invented in China around 1269.

For this mission, should you be literate enough to accept it, will focus on the alphabet consisting of these twenty-six letters: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z. Head to Atlanta or Amsterdam for a run! Then you're off to Baltimore, Bangkok or Beijing! A juant through Cairo in next, followed by a run in Dublin or Detroit. You get the idea. You need to run the alphabet, learn the ABC of Running! Find a location for each letter of the alphabet and put your running shoes on. Sure you can run A-T in your own state or country. Will you find a V? Z? X? Let us know that you have taken up the challenge and keep us informed of your progress. Good luck!

In order to complete this mission you need to run in twentysix cities whose initial is a different letter of the alphabet:

• A
• B
• C

• D
• E
• F

• G
• H
• I

• J
• K
• L

• M
• N
• O

• P
• Q
• R

• S
• T
• U

• V
• W
• X

• Y
• Z

Mission in Progress

Planeteers who are currently running this mission:

• Nanci Virginillo (Canada)
• Sheila Crean (Usa/Michigan)
• Katherine Duck (Usa)
• Patrick Cross (Usa/Michigan)
• Simon Grasshopper (Usa/New York)
• Kevin Lietz (Usa/Wisconsin)
• Cheryl Fredrick (United States of America)
• Linda Lynch (Usa/Michigan)
• Cary Libby (Usa/Maine)
• Michael J. Tatman (Usa/Pennsylvania)
• Mafalda Roberta Farioli (Italy)
• Jesslyn Bass (Usa/Texas)
• James Story (South Korea)
• Karen Elliott (Usa/Montana)
• Linda Bedwell (Usa/California)
• Kaye Christensen (Usa/Utah)
• Eric Sutton (Usa/Hawaii)
• Bernie Danylyshen (Canada)
• Kris Kunkle (Usa/Texas)
• Your name and nationality here

Mission Completed

Nigel P. Patience (England)
Nigel lives in the South of England but works as cabin crew (a flight attendant) for an international airline, so his running has taken him far and wide across the Planet. He has run on six of the seven continents and have lost count of the number of countries he has visited. Nigel has run several half marathons and three marathons - Nottingham's "Robin Hood marathon" in 1997 and the "London marathon" in 1999 and 2001 - with a best time of 3 hours 52 minutes. Here are the cities Nigel visited to complete his "ABC of Running" mission: Atlanta (Usa/Georgia), Boston (Usa/Massachusetts), Caracas (Venezuela), Denver (Usa/Colorado), Entebbe (Uganda), Fulking (England), Gaborone (Botswana), Horley (England), Islamabad (Pakistan), Johannesburg (South Africa), Kingston (Jamaica), London (England), Melbourne (Australia), New York City (Usa/New York), Outwood (England), Phoenix (Usa/Arizona), Quarley (England), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), San Francisco (Usa/California), Tel Aviv (Israel), Uckfield (England), Vancouver (Canada), Watford (England), Xanten (Germany), Yapton (England), and Zeals (England).

Daniel C. Gedacht (United States of America)
Dan currently lives in Warsaw (Poland), but has previously lived in Italy and Korea and is an avid traveller. He has run four half marathons in Italy and three marathons ("Vigaranomarathon" in Ferrara, Italy 2002, "Tirol Speed Marathon" in Italy/Austria 2004, and "Marathon in the Parks" in Bethesda, Usa/Maryland 2004) with a personal best of 4 hours and 21 minutes. He is currently recovering from multiple knee surgeries and after a year without running he started up again in autumn 2006, completing the "The ABC of Running" in Ukta, Poland. Here are the cities Dan visited to complete his alphabetical mission: Arona (Italy), Bohinj (Slovenia), Castelletto (Italy), Dormelletto (Italy), Europabrücke (Austria), Ferrara (Italy), Gravellona Toce (Italy), Hoboken (Usa/New Jersey), Innsbruck (Austria), Jerusalem (Israel), Krakow (Poland), Lesa (Italy), Meina (Italy), New Bedford (Usa/Massachusetts), Oleggio Castello (Italy), Portland (Usa/Maine), Quassa di Ispra (Italy), Revere (Usa/Massachusetts), Seoul (South Korea), Tel Aviv (Israel), Ukta (Poland), Venice (Italy), Washington (Usa/District of Columbia), Xi'an (China), York (Usa/Maine), Zakopane (Poland).

• Your name and running biography here