Members of the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run passed through Cortez on Thursday, May 26. It was the second consecutive year that the Peace Run, a torch relay by international volunteers, stopped in Cortez.
Each year, the Peace Run visits schools, civic clubs and government officials in more than 100 nations. Residents in host cities can meet the runners and carry the torch.
The Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run laps the United States, going south to Mexico at the western leg and north to Canada on the eastbound leg over four months. The run started in New York in April and plans to finish there in August. A European run began in February in Portugal and will end in October in Rome, covering 16,000 miles.
After visiting Cortez, runners headed to Monument Valley. The women visited with The San Juan Foundation and were joined by students from Monument Valley High School.
The team heads south to Tijuana, Mexico, then San Diego. Runners then will go up the Pacific Coast to Seattle and Vancouver, turn east to Winnipeg, then through Minneapolis, Chicago and Michigan to Toronto and Montreal. It then heads south through New England to New York, completing its lap in August.
The run was started in 1987 by Sri Chinmoy, a spiritual leader who advocated meditation and athleticism. More information: www.peacerun.org.