Eliud Kipchoge and Ryan Sandes run for rivers in virtual #WorldRiverRun 2021
By Melanie Ho
June 5, 2021 -- A global virtual event celebrating the beauty and value of our rivers saw Eliud Kipchoge, the world's fastest marathoner and Ryan Sandes, the world's top ultra trail runner, join runners from 115 countries for the #WorldRiverRun.
Raising awareness about the importance of rivers, the four-day #WorldRiverRun began on Global Running Day (June 2) and concluded on World Environment Day on Saturday, June 5. Organized by water campaigner and ultra-runner Mina Guli and held in partnership with WWF and with support from Aqua for All, the #WorldRiverRun sought to draw global attention to the lifeblood of our planet -- our rivers.
Kipchoge dedicated his run to the River Kimondi in Nandi County, Kenya where he grew up.
Sandes, who is the first person to win all four races in the 4 Deserts Ultramarathon Series dedicated his run to the Disa River in his native South Africa.
Runners, walkers and water activists from around the world signed up via www.worldriverrun to participate in the #WorldRiverRun and collectively committed to cover a distance of more than 168,000 km. Participants dedicate walks and runs to a river of their choice, running for a river that is always running for them. Participating in the #WorldRiverRun was free of charge with all participants receiving a personalised race bib, certificate of participation as well as a series of emails that educated them about the value of rivers, based on WWF’s Valuing Rivers report.
Participants from Bangladesh to Benin and from Argentina to Zambia, dedicated their efforts to rivers as diverse as the Rhine, the Rovuma and the Mekong. Students at a school in the UAE joined forces to show their support for the Indus, while families and friends are show solidarity for rivers they love. Guli, the founder and CEO of Thirst, ran for the Orange River in South Africa’s Richtersveld Desert. It was during Guli’s time in the Richtersveld that she decided to dedicate her life to campaigning for water.
A key aspect of the campaign was the Country Captains programme, which involved coordinating a diverse group of volunteers from around the world. One of the Country Captains, Sohag Mohajan organised an event in his area, District 8 for the #WorldRiverRun. More than 400 supporters joined in, many wearing #WorldRiverRun t-shirts, securing several pieces of media coverage in Bangladesh alone.
Overall the campaign achieved 27.5 million impressions online, with a reach of 6.5 million.
To join future runs for water please follow Mina Guli on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or subscribe to updates via her website
