The morning dawn greets us with clear and bright, promising skies. We are standing in front of the Settat city hall and, if you look closely, you can just see your breath in a delicate, misty puff. It is not cold, just cool and fresh, and the running will be easy.

We have a simple ceremony and head out to the road, each step bringing us ever-closer to our final destination in Africa, Marrakech.

Two little dark-haired girls hold the torch together for the first few, easy blocks. Then it gets down to the business end of the World Harmony Run, which is running; we will have to cover over 110 kilometres today.

On the outskirts of town I point down a side road, to show the runners an unusual sight. It is Saturday and it must be the day for the local weekly horse and camel market. There are many tents set up and you can see horses of all kinds being rushed to and fro in front of inquisitive buyers. I cannot help but marvel at the irony of seeing horse carts every day while also having the daily experience of motorists leaning out of the windows of Mercedes' and taking our pictures with camera phones.

Early in the day, I remark to some of the team members how the countryside here looks quite exotic to me. Everywhere I look in this region, there are many lush, young, green fields and grazing livestock. They tell me this view can be seen practically anywhere in Europe. They say I have been living in New York too long. One says it is not too different from Slovakia, another says it is just like Portugal. That is, if you remove all the buildings and camels.

The road follows a railway line for our entire day. It is the route of the Marrakech Express, which whizzes past us quite a few times. A couple of times I have heard it give a melodic toot as it crosses a road. It will take us a lot longer than the train to reach Marrakech. I think though, we will have more joy covering the distance our way, on foot.

Patricio from Portugal points to an unusual small building at one point, as we wait for a runner. He is the linguist of our band, speaking 5 languages. He has absorbed small, useful chunks of Arabic as well over the past week. He has also amazed me by even speaking a few words of Czech, which is the default principal language of our team. The small sand-coloured building sits off by itself on a gentle hillside, surrounded by grass and spring flowers. Patricio tells me that the small domed building is a Marabou, a tomb of a holy man.

In a few more miles, the scenery changes dramatically. Soon there is no mistaking that we are in Africa. It is becoming drier as we get further from the coast, heading south. The soil is becoming dark red and more clay-like. Unusual small, sharp hills start to appear, with stony faces. This view is just a teasing hint of the Atlas Mountains gradually rising up to the skies in front of us, at the foot of which can be found Marrakech.

Our road is mostly flat but there are some rises and curves beginning to build on our way. It is not difficult yet, but the scenery is now becoming more varied and nature is throwing in some surprising new varieties of plants as we make turns and come across unusual new vistas.

Our first ceremony of the day takes place in a small town called Skour des Reman. Johnny, our Moroccan organizer told us that it was coming, but I do not think even he was prepared for the size and enthusiasm of our reception there.

We come up to a group of several hundred kids in front of a small schoolyard. Many are in various sport team uniforms and many more are carrying the World Harmony Run team logo, photocopied onto sheets of white paper. They have also carefully painted banners for us, bearing the team’s name and both the words peace and harmony. Drinks and a great many trays of cookies are also provided.

The schoolyard where the event is being held can just contain most of the kids, but certainly cannot contain the energy of their excitement at being part of the event. For us as we sit down at a long table, it seems more than a little awkward to be sitting eating cookies in front of a such a large throng of excited and most likely hungry kids. Soon, however, the trays are passed around amongst them as well and the cookies disappear as quickly as snowflakes in spring.

Without a megaphone, Johnny conducts the ceremony; a great number can hear, but certainly not all. We have an opportunity to tell the kids all the different countries we come from. They give loud cheers when the hear the country names, all of which are far from their dusty school yard in Morocco.

The teachers do their best to shush the excited kids, who are so enthusiastic that we cannot help but feel that we are being treated like some kind of mega-celebrities.

We are most pleasantly surprised to learn that they want to plant an olive tree as a dedication to the World Harmony Run and a commemoration of our visit to their school. Of course, there can be no more fitting tree for peace than the olive. We take turns tossing handfuls and shovelfuls of dirt into the hole. I imagine coming back here in the distant future and seeing the tree growing, tall and rich with fruit.

Before we make our way out of the compound, the principal of the school comes to me and points at his hand. He has organized this truly impressive welcome for the World Harmony Run team. He tells me that everyone has five fingers on each hand. He points to each finger in turn to make his point. We are all the same. He then says, “Everyone needs harmony.”

We have sung our song and handed out unbelievable quantities of the World Harmony Run stickers to the excited children. For some strange yet sweet reason, the kids then start to circulate amongst us and try to get our autographs. All team members have multiple children attached to any available hand or elbow. The two girls on our team, one Czech and the other Slovak, have attracted an entourage of dozens of delighted young girls.

We slowly, slowly make our way up the street. The kids are so joyous and so exhilarated by being part of the team, they fill the road. Traffic is stopped in both directions as the crowd makes its way on up the road. In a car far behind the large group, I can only just occasionally see the torch moving ahead. Beside me, a woman walks as fast as she can. She is carrying her small son on her back. He is excited, she is excited; they make their way as far as they can walk and then they just disappear, gone from my rear-view mirror.

I am running alone now, towards today’s destination, Benguerir. The hills are building in the landscape about us. I look out at the countryside and try to absorb it into my consciousness in some way. I imagine what it would be like in months or years time to be able to recall the beauty that I am seeing now, to feel the warmth and tranquility of these miles I am putting in on Moroccan roads.

I realize that the photos will remain on websites and my words will sit in electronic storage somewhere, but the real experience is not something to be conveniently measured out again and again by clicking on a computer’s keyboard and looking at a monitor. There is nothing of comparable value to be found in digitally stored words or uploaded pictures. The secret truth is that in the future I will only need to look into my own heart, at any time and any place. That is the only true, and the safest place, to search for the beauty of our experience here in Africa.

We can see Benguerir to our left as we crest a small hill. Straight ahead of us is Marrakech, but reaching it is a task for another day.Vladimir from the Ukraine has run many miles today; they are useful in his training for an upcoming multi-day race. Team captain Ondrej has run many miles as well, but taken many, many more photos. Patricio has run a lot, but like me he spends much of the day behind the wheel of one of the Renaults. Mario and Rasto, the two cheerful Slovaks, seem inexhaustible. Moroccan organizer, Johnny, runs and talks often on his phone, and never seems to sweat. And the two girls, Martina and Mila add miles and charm to a group of otherwise rough-and-ready boys.

As we come into the town, we are greeted by several groups of runners.

The first small group seems to be made up mostly of young girls wearing white smocks; some, but not all, have their hair covered with scarves.

We come across a second group now, and the first group continues on too. It becomes apparent that they were supposed to fall away, but were so thrilled to be with us that the whole group now moves on as one.

We come up to a town office and are warmly greeted with large cookie trays once again, and cups of traditional mint tea.

We are able to sing our song for the kids and then after completing our ceremony, what was once a day of hard running just seems to slip away. In one of the vagaries and mysteries of the World Harmony Run, we find ourselves at our accommodation ready to do more, and now the kids have disappeared into the Moroccan sunset and there are no miles more to go.

Since coming into town, we have run with a well-known local coach. He has competed internationally himself, and was at many world championships in the 1980’s. He has a best time of 28:10 for 10km. (I cannot recall his name accurately and for this I apologize.) At the end of our day I interview him, and ask why there are so many great Moroccan athletes. He tells me that it is a combination of perfect weather and the willingness of Moroccans to train and work very hard.

When asked what is the most important thing he can teach young athletes, he tells me that the most important thing he can teach his athletes is that they should love everyone. He also says he appreciates our efforts so much, he would like to join the team and travel with it around the world spreading harmony. With gratitude I welcome him to our team.

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Distance: 65km

Team Members:
Utpal Marshall (Canada), Ondrej Vesely, Honza Minarcik and Mila Pisanova (Czech Republic), Mario Komak, Rasto Ulicny and Martina Madarova (Slovakia), Vladimir Balatskyy (Ukraine), Patricio Rodrigues (Portugal)

Gallery: See more images!

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