The Belarusian stage of the "Run of Friendship" international relay race will conclude in the Vitebsk region

September 21, Vitebsk / Sergei Kotovets - BELTA /. Participants of the international athletics relay "Peace Run" arrived in Vitebsk today. More than 60 students from sports schools of the regional center joined the relay on the way to the Central Sports Complex, the department of physical culture, sports and tourism of the city executive committee informed a BELTA correspondent. In Vitebsk, a solemn reception of the international team was organized on the Alley of Olympic Glory of the Vitebsk region. Representatives of the city's sports community, students of schools and youth organizations gathered to greet the participants of the international relay. Tomorrow, the international relay will head to Liozno, and then will cross the Belarusian-Russian border. Vitebsk region became the last Belarusian region on the path of the athletics run to the finish line on September 27 in Moscow, where participants of the European and Asian branches of the relay will arrive simultaneously. The total length of the Belarusian section of the run is about 840 km; the relay passed through Grodno, Skidel, Volkovysk, Zelva, Slonim, Baranovichi, Zhodino, Minsk, Borisov, Mogilev, Orsha. The international team of relay participants includes 11 permanent members representing Croatia, Germany, England, Moldova, Holland, Czech Republic, Serbia, Austria, Hungary, and Russia. Belarusian athletes support them along the way. Anyone can join the international team at any stage. "Peace Run" is the longest athletics run in the world, founded in 1987 by enthusiasts seeking to inspire people of all nationalities with the idea of goodwill. The initiator of the relay is considered to be the Indian philosopher, writer, and sports enthusiast Sri Chinmoy. The route length is 47,000 km. The run is divided into two branches - European and Asian. This year, the relay started with a unique torch-lighting ceremony from the lava of the Pacaya volcano, located near Guatemala City, the capital of the state of the same name in Central America. The European part of the run began on February 26 in Dublin, Ireland; the relay arrived in Belarus from Lithuania. Currently, the "Peace Run" unites over a hundred countries. The route crosses all continents, and the finish of the relay is held in a new participating country each year. -0-