It is morning in Riga. Light rain trickles down from a haven of clouds. On this day our Croatian runner Ana leaves us. She’s been running long distances and yesterday she sang her swan song with a full marathon. Good-bye, friend! Still, across the marketplace and along pedestrian streets the international team and local runners run, a new hope in their hearts for World Harmony.

After 6km we split up the team. One team runs to Jurmala, a very elegant and rich coastal town sporting beautiful houses and mansions, with big decorated gardens. With local runners and children we run on a long pedestrian shopping street, handing out fliers and watching smiles ignite in the merchants and passers-by.

Near the sea we are greeted by the city Mayor and offered the traditional sweet bun with raisins. Agile cheerleaders perform for us, and then we run out towards the sea to the beach. Here on the damp compact sand, under a canopy of grey-blue clouds, the vast sea spreading out in front of us, we have lunch prepared by our Latvian team-member Ieva’s father. It is based on home grown potatoes with cottage cheese: a traditional Latvian dish. Very good!

Meanwhile our other team picks up a van full of runners dressed in green from Ozolnieki. They have organised independent Baltic runs before, running through all the Baltic countries. Led by their powerful leader, Juris, they run with us for over 70km all the way to Bauska.

Nature is pure and beautiful: fields, forest, and sky.

Our teams meet up just before Jelgava, where stoic kids join us through the city. We are greeted very well at the Town Hall by the Sports Representative, and by the people gathered there. The media is also there to record the event. Refreshments ahoy! Water, bananas, and chocolate.

In the idyllic country region of Eleja, the vivacious inhabitants have prepared a full feast for us with plates upon plates of fresh juicy fruit: honeydew melon, cantaloupe, kiwi, oranges, and nectarines, together with salt crackers and fresh pure water from local springs. The Mayor of the region greets us joyfully, and then some youths in regional dress go up for some jolly dances on the big green meadow. Even during a sudden gush of water from the heavens the people’s smiles and enthusiasm stay the same. Here also, strapping children run with us. We have to hurry up to keep the schedule, so on our way out some kids join Dipavajan for quite a fast run. They succeed very well!

In Pilsrundale we run with a big bunch of Latvian runners to Latvia’s most famous castle, Rudales Palace, which now also serves as a state museum. It was built by the same architect that built the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, and in effect it functioned as the Summer Palace. Through a great arch the palace reveals a façade in all its majestic beauty. We run past the palace side into the huge garden. Here we run past beautiful floral sculptures and high hedge walls into an amphitheatre, where the region’s Sports Representative receives us with refreshments.

In Bauska our journey ends for the day. Kids with similar torches as we have, whom we already encountered in Latvia, have lined up all the way along the road towards the ceremony. As we run past, more and more torches join our group. At our destination the Mayor happily greets us, providing us with refreshments and souvenirs.

We finish the day with a tasty meal cooked by our Latvian friends.

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Distance: 144km

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