Runners from Laos , Vietnam and Thailand will have another opportunity to meet each other at an Olympic Day Run across the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge linking Vientiane and Nong Khai province, Thailand , on June 28.
The mini-marathon, one of many Olympic Day Runs organised worldwide, is jointly organised by the Lao National Sports Committee and the Olympic Committees of Laos, Vietnam and Thailand .
The main aims of this year's run are to promote the 25 th South East Asian Games to be held next year in Laos and to mark the 50 th anniversary of the South East Asian Peninsular Games Federation, which also takes place next year.
The run is scheduled to start in the early morning of June 28, over a distance of 7km for runners and 5km for walkers. Participants can enter in either the junior, senior or open categories.
The run will start at the immigration checkpoint in Nong Khai province, from where runners and walkers will cross the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge and race to the Caltex petrol station on Thadeua Road in Hadxaifong district, Vientiane , before returning to the starting line.
The organising committee has announced the run will be free to all entrants and will give each participant a free Olympic Day Run T-shirt.
Those who want to take part should submit their names to the Lao National Sports Committee office or call 021-216009 or 243793 during office hours. Registration for the run opens next Monday.
According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), in an effort to encourage all National Olympic Committees (NOCs) to commemorate and celebrate Olympic Day, the IOC Sport for All Commission launched the Olympic Day Run concept with the objective of promoting the practice of participation in sport by men, women and children from all corners of the world and all walks of life, regardless of athletic ability.
The first Olympic Day Run was held in 1987, over a distance of 10km, with 45 participating NOCs.
Over the last 17 years, the Olympic Day Run has developed into the only worldwide celebration of Olympic Day, and helps to spread the Olympic ideals to every corner of the world.
