What is the Olympic Run? Why is it historically significant?
One of the famous events of Olympic Day is the Olympic Run that is also held on 23rd June every year. It was first thought of and held in 1987 as a way to spread the idea of awareness of the Olympics that was found to be lacking across the world. The race is seen as an event that unites people from all walks of life regardless of race, gender, class etc . Men, women, and children are invited to take part, run and revel in the Olympic Spirit. People from all across the world in various towns and cities gather in specially designed Olympic t-shirts or just sport gear to engage in the event. Small towns, major cities, and even villages in certain countries all have their own version of the run. The running track is dependent on the geographics of the region and could be anything ranging from winding hills, to around city blocks and near beaches. Over time, it has grown to be a massive event with people of all age groups taking part. The first Olympic Run held in 1987 had around 45 participating NOC's . This number gradually grew every year as more countries saw it as a way to promote Olympic Sports. By 2007, there were around 161 participating NOC's. The distance was initially 10km but there are various other events such as the 5km run and the 1.5 km fun run. All of them are meant for people to compete in as per their comfort level of running and based on what they enjoy.