Today the ceremony was to be held in the Prague Old Town City Hall. From our starting point we ran the short distance to meet Marek Hrubý, national 400m champion who ran with the torch to the ceremony venue.

Representatives from various country embassies, sport officials and the mayors of Prague Districts welcomed the International Team.

The mayor of Prague District 1, Mr. Vladimír Vihan warmly greeted the runners.

The following representatives from the embassies stepped up and held the torch and offered kind words of support, encouragement and goodwill:

Ms N Dube, from South Africa was the first of the embassy representatives to hold the torch and saw a few very nice and kind words.

Mr. Carlo Capalbo, from the organising committeee of the Prague International Marathon, mentioned how important running was to connect people and bring people together. He generously gave each runner an official starting pack from this year's half marathon that included a bag and t-shirt. Mr. František Fojt of Czech Athletic Federation also wished us luck on our journey and applauded our efforts. Also in attendance at the ceremony were the following:

After the ceremony we received a guided tour of the Old Town City Hall. We wish we could have stayed longer to fully appreciate the history but a 6 km through Prague beckoned. At least we took a picture in front of the famous orloj - ancient astronomical clock.

From the Old Town City Hall we received a police escort from motorcycle outriders through the old part of the city.

There were many tourists mingling around who clapped and cheered as we ran by.

On the Charles Bridge, similar to yesterday, we gave an impromptu ceremony to a group of tourists - this time from Denmark. They were keen to hear about our journey through their country recently.

After two wonderful nights in the capital, we headed 20 km south from the city to Jilove u Prahy. It is surrounded by hills, which along with the River Sazava create one of the most beautiful areas in the vicinity of Prague. The natural surroundings are well preserved and the town's history is linked to the now vanished tradition of gold-mining.

At Jilove's Town Hall we met the lady mayor who was so glad that the World Harmony Run route ran through the town. She proudly showed us into the room where marriage ceremonies are performed and hanging from the ceiling where two huge crystal chandeliers. We were then treated to refreshments and sandwiches.

The mayor ran with us with the torch from the town's square and down the hill where set left us to run the 13 km to our next meeting in Tynec nad Sazavou. Along the route we spied deer up on the steep slopes and they quickly disappeared into the forest.

We ran up some steep hills to be greeted by three local runners from Tynec on the outskirts of the town. On the steps of the town hall, we met the vice mayor, with the World Harmony Run Song playing in the background. She was so warm and open hearted and she said that she would treasure this moment as she held the torch. She commented that she would attempt to encourage the citizens of the town to live a more harmonious and peaceful life. She invited us for refreshments and cakes that she baked herself.

In the summer sunshine we waved goodbye and quickly covered the distance to the impressive Konopiste Castle, complete with a bear enclosure and peacocks that roam the grounds. In the heat of the afternoon the black bear was asleep in the shade. Someone said that the bear looked like our Ukrainian runner, Valentine.

As always our time was limited as we didn't have the time to explore the inside of the castle or even the grounds. Because of the constant flow, dynamism and nature of the World Harmony Run you can never have the luxury of being a tourist. However, with the speed of the run you do tend to capture glimpses of many wonderful places, but more importantly as a runner you view the heart of countries - its people, the culture, the landscape, and its natural surroundings.

The runners of the International Team are constantly aware how eternally grateful they are to be given the opportunity to participate in one of the most important projects devised by Sri Chinmoy .

With a police escort we ran into Benesov where we met the mayor outside the town hall. To get out of the scorching sun we performed the ceremony in the shade in a covered courtyard. As we powerfully sang the World Harmony Run Song it reverberated all around. The mayor ran with us for a short distance and we continued our final 23 km of the day to Vlasim.

It was a perfect summer's evening as we finished in Vlasim - blue sky, warm sunshine with a slight gentle breeze. It was a most beautiful ending to the day.

Distance: 60km

Team Members:
Anete Klavina (Latvia), Bogdan Copil (Romania), Daniel Schenke (Germany), Jadranka Grbic (Serbia & Montenegro), Jarek Werner (Poland), Mark Collinson (England), Marlen Bernhard (Germany), Ondrej Vesely (Czech Republic), Petar Mihaylov (Bulgaria), Petr Machacek (Czech Republic), Svetlana Gorshkova (Russia), Valentine Bebik (Ukraine), Zoltan Theobald (Hungary).

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