AIMS Children’s Series for 2007 – Second race in KIGALI (Ruanda) – The 2007 series again began with Children’s races at the Sahara Marathon, on 26 February.

The second race of the AIMS Children’s Series for 2007 takes place in Kigali (Rwanda) on 13 May in conjunction with the Kigali International Peace Marathon, to be held for the third time. It follows the successful staging of the Children’s races at the Sahara Marathon in Tindouf, Western Sahara, on 27 February.

The events in Rwanda are organised through the Ministry for Youth, Sport and Culture (MIJESPOC), representatives of the Olympic Committee (CNOSR) and the Rwandan Athletic Federation (FRA). The races enjoy the support of Soroptimists Europe (SIE) and the marathon club of Luxembourg (ASMK) which has established a special friendship with the Kigali Marathon.

In 2006 a total of 1800 runners from 21 different nations came to Kigali, and the organisers hope to surpass this number this year. In the children’s series there will be races for up to 1200 boys and girls in three different age categories. The event is held under the auspices of President Paul Kagame.

The final event of the AIMS Children’s Series 2007 will take place in Addis Ababa on 8 September.

https://www.kigalimarathon.com/showHTML.aspx?page=default.htm&lng=EN
Kigali-Marathon

3rd International Peace Marathon
13 May 2007

www.kigalimarathon.com

Soroptimist-International of Europe and the Rwandan SI clubs invite you for the
3rd INTERNATIONAL MARATHON FOR PEACE IN KIGALI RWANDA
13-05-2007

Why should you go there?
If you are interested in a beautiful country and lovely people, in the middle of Africa, you should take your chance, either as a runner or an encouraging spectator or traveller.

If you are a runner, this will be the most challenging run you have ever done. You have a choice of the marathon, the half marathon and the FunRun of 5 km

If you are an interested traveller and want to visit not only the Marathon but also this picturesque country and the projects of the Rwandan Soroptimist clubs, and meet local people, don’t hesitate and get all the information and book.

Your visit will be of great importance for the rebuilding of Rwanda, as well by goodwill and understanding as economically.

see article on GRR-website:
International Peace Marathon in Kigali / Rwanda – Spectacular premier in the “Land of 1000 Hills”
https://www.germanroadraces.de/24-1-newsartikel1335.html
Kigali-Marathon

The AIMS Children’s Series – Series launch

The growing realisation of running as a common cause throughout the world has led to many links being established between races, for which AIMS provides a forum. Organising this more formally, around particular issues, can capture the attention of a wider public. With this in mind, AIMS launched the Children’s Series at the beginning of 2006 to assist selected member races in promoting running among children.

AIMS President Hiroaki Chosa said “Many great athletes have often emerged against great adversity. We are seeking to encourage more young children to follow their dreams and to aim for a healthy life.” The member races involved in this pilot project were the Sahara Marathon in Algeria, the Kathmandu Peace Run in Nepal and the Great Ethiopian Run in Addis Ababa.

The intention was to support races in poorer countries since a number of big international races in wealthier countries had already developed children’s races alongside their own events.

The first series

The first event, in Tindouf, Algeria, on 27 February 2006, was met with great enthusiasm. “The children’s race was something awesome,” wrote Mattia Durli, technical director of the Sahara Marathon. “Almost 1000 kids took part in the 800m race, divided by age groups and according to schools. Each child ran with the AIMS Children’s Series T-shirt and received the medal at the end. All this took place against the background of severe flooding only two weeks before the races. The race raised morale, along with 12,000 euros for the projected sports centre.”

The second stage of the series took place in Nepal on 22 October 2006, in association with the Samsung Kathmandu 5km Peace Run. Setting off from the City Hall building, with the temples and stupas of Durbar Square in the background, the combined field created a long snaking trail along New Road, around Ratna Park and then eastward out to Baneshwor, to finish at the gates of the gigantic Birendra International Convention Centre. There were three age groups, each divided into boys’ and girls’ categories, identified by a letter code to pick them out at the finish line. The grounds of the convention centre gradually filled up with smiling runners, proudly wearing their medals and clutching their certificates as they tucked into their breakfast packs.
The AIMS Children’s Series for 2006 was rounded off in Addis Ababa on 25 November by a series of four separate races conducted the day before the 6th Toyota Great Ethiopian Run 10km.
The size of the fields were limited in this inaugural edition to a total of 3000 runners split into boys and girls and into two age categories. In the under 8s some serious racing went on up front, but the tiny kids trailing in their wake ran the whole way. The start and finish were located in the huge amphitheatre surrounding Meskel Square.
The course was 1200m in length, comprising a lap of Meskel Square and out-and-back section up a testing slope. In the under 11s girls’ race the first three finishers all ran barefoot.

After the finish line each child was awarded a drink and a bottle, biscuits and a medal. Gradually the Square filled up with kids basking in the sunshine, laughing and chatting with friends and sporting the spoils of their participation. The top three in each category received plaques from a trio of distinguished atheltes: Carolina Kluft, Sonia O’Sullivan and race parton Haile Gebrselassie.

The second series

The 2007 series again began with Children’s races at the Sahara Marathon, on 26 February.

Because the Kathmandu race organisation has been disbanded, the second race in the series will this time be in Kigali on 13 May,
in conjunction with the Rwanda Peace Marathon.

The third event will again be in Addis Ababa, but this year will be held on 8 September, the day before the Great Ethiopian Run 10km, which has moved its date to coincide with the Ethiopian Millennium celebrations.

https://www.aims-association.org/AIMS_childrens_series.htm
AIMS Children’s series