The international team ran along the esplanade this morning, the rows of shorefront Norfolk Pines our guard of honour, the signature white towers of the Gold Coast crowding tall against this perfect blue sky. North Burleigh to Burleigh, a 3 kilometre warm-up before our meeting with one of Australia's great sons, Ron Clarke.

Now Mayor of the City of Gold Coast, former multiple world-record holding middle distance runner Ron Clarke was one of the running heroes greatly admired by the founder of the Run, Sri Chinmoy. The two met in 1976 and corresponded many times in the intervening years. Ron is also a National Patron for the World Harmony Run in Australia this year.

"What are you doing? Where are you running to?" the morning strollers are asking us. Many saw us on national television's Channel 9 last night, and clapped their support. Flanked by a beachfront tai-chi class, Mayor Ron Clarke awaits us – the relay team run the last 100 metres en masse to his warm greeting.

"I agree very much with Sri Chinmoy's philosophy of promoting friendship through running and sports," he tells our now sizeable crowd of runners, our new tai-chi friends, residents drawn to this iconic and popular figure. He reminds us that 26.2% of the Gold Coasts' residents were born overseas – here a multicultural city lives harmoniously as the World Harmony Run encourages us to do.

Queensland co-ordinator Ms Kapila Moses now presents Ron Clarke with a salute of our own – he is to be the first recipient of a new award to be presented in association with the World Harmony Run – the Torch-Bearer Award – which honours those who in some way have uplifted and inspired their communities.

The Gold Coast Bulletin now sets up a panoramic team shot – burning torch, national flags, big vistas of calm sea. The team is joined by "Larry the Lifeguard" and members of the Gold Coast Titans.

And the Mayor's generosity now evident with a table of snacks and morning tea, free copies and personal signings for the relay team members of his book "Enjoying Life," a gift bag of suncap and rehydrate bottles.

We meet locals John and Gwen Fischer – John carried the Olympic torch for one mile uphill at St Helena, just south of the Gold Coast, in 1956 at 2 am in the dead of night. Qualifying time for Olympic Torch relay members was 6 minutes for one mile – John tells us his section was mostly uphill and he ran a 6.34. "At that time in morning," he laughed, "only the cows were there to clap and moo." Ron Clarke remarked that he was originally chosen to run a similar section of the relay but eventually it was decided that he would be the one to light the Olympic Cauldron in Melbourne.

Today is a calm day, our newly assembled team recovering from long-haul flights from the Ukraine, Czech Republic, Russia, Germany and the United States. Tomorrow and the days ahead will see bigger mileage, challenges, the joys of sharing with other peace-lovers' open hearts.

But today in this rest afternoon in one of Australia's great destination resorts, a chance to sample the warm Pacific Ocean and explore the tree-lined streets of this dynamic city.

– Jogyata Dallas (New Zealand)

If you would like to place a link or a write a story about the World Harmony Run on your website, click here to Link to Us. We'll be happy to place a reciprocal link and list you on our Friends Online page.

---

Distance: 2 km

Team Members:
Prabhakar Street (Canada), Edi Serban (Romania), Standa Zubaty (Czech Republic), Sandro Zincarini (Italy), Runar Gigja (Iceland), Marichi Clarke (Australia), Misha Kulagin (Russia), Dima Lehonkov (Ukraine), Veeraja (Uppal (Australia), Angela Muhs (Germany), Anubha Baird (Australia), Nataliya Lehonkova (Ukraine), Garbitashri Webster (New Zealand), Atul Arora (India), Amalendu Edelsten (Australia), Noivedya Juddery (Australia), Rathin Boulton (Australia), Prachar Stegemann (Australia), Peter Elliot (Australia)

Harmonemail:
You can send a message to the runners or read the messages.

< Australia 27 April

Australia 29 April >