Saturday morning - a run through the dreaming spires and majestic sculptures of Oxford, to Gloucester Green.

There we were met by the Sherriff of Oxford, Susanna Pressel who was delighted to welcome the International Team to this august city. Accompanying the gathering of well-wishers and local runners was the Oxford City Silver Band, which played as the team arrived in Gloucester Green. The beautiful day was reflected in the gleaming of their trumpet!

Oxford has a tremendous global appeal and people from all over the world come to work or study in Oxford, creating a dynamic cultural fusion that could be seen in the gathered audience. People from the Ukraine, Albania, Kazakhstan, Venezuela, Martinique, Italy, Japan, Sudan and Korea offered their good wishes - a touching expression of oneness that reaffirms the need and power of harmony in all our lives.

The Oxford Mail sent a representative and the previous evening Balavan was interviewed by Radio Oxford.

The Team usually sings the World Harmony Run Song and this time was accompanied by the excellent musicians from the Silver Band, which provided a powerful energy that resounded around the square.

The runners departed the Green with local runners who carried the Harmony Torch to Headington where we bade them farewell and turned our gaze toward London, a hundred km's to the East.

The weather, though cool, brought much appreciated blue skies and the clear air in the Oxfordshire countryside was another offering from the beauty of nature.

As we approached Uxbridge we were joined by Yuki Bevis and her father Phil . Yuki we met several days ago whilst we were paused at Avebury in Wiltshire and she was unable to run then as she was shod only with wellies. Yuki has trained at a high level and carried the torch for miles. Phil was a very capable ultra runner having run the Compton 40 mile race and also setting an age-group record. Their support and participation was welcomed, appreciated and inspired some of the Team members to emulate this enthusiasm as we approach our journey's end. The Team motto, Harmony begins with me, is something that we try to nurture on a moment to moment basis and infectious enthusiasm is harmony in action and we are very grateful to Yuki and Phil for joining us through Southall.

Bright Southall has a vibrancy and intensity unique on our journey so far and another wave of enthusiasm blessed the runners as they passed the afternoon throngs.Our German team member, Mark Schrader, posed for a photograph in front of a WWII Spitfire to show the symbolic irony of harmony emerging from conflict.

Ever onward; it never ceases to amaze, how much ground can be covered by the teams. In no time at all we were arriving at Speakers Corner, Hyde Park, London where more local runners were to join us.

Passing beyond Oxford Street the Team made its way to Primrose Hill via Regents Park where the Torch's final day of cross-country travelling would arrive at the goal.The final official function of the day was at TriYoga, amongst Europe's top Yoga studios. Here Shane shows off his many years of experience!

he The Team was welcomed here by Leela Miller, one of TriYoga's foremost teachers.

After the official ceremony with a rousing performance of the Harmony Run song, Leela kindly invited the group of twenty runners to a twenty minute stretching class to ease limbs aching after so many days on the road.

Suitably refreshed, the runners sprinted up Primrose Hill to enjoy panoramic views of the London skyline at sunset with a full moon rising in the East. The runners then jogged the last mile in the twilight, to their accommodation at the Palmers Lodge Hotel at Swiss Cottage.

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Distance: 108km

Team Members:
Ondrej Vesely (Czech Republic), Andrea Fidrmuc (Slovakia), Abichal Watkins (Wales), Marc Schrader (Germany), Jirka Albrecht (Czech Republic), Nataliya Lehonkova (Ukraine), Edi Brodtrager (Austria), Erika Pongracz (Hungary), Angela Muhls (Germany), Zuzana Tobolkova (Czech Republic), Bakul Keaney (Ireland), Sarvosmi and Piyasi Morris (England), Richard Pettinger (England), Balavan Thomas (England), Shane Magee (Ireland), Colm Magee (Ireland).

Harmonemail:
You can send a message to the runners or read the messages.

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