Today started with two sizeable running feats. First Davíð ran 13 km solo, which yet pales into insignificance next to Andrés' straight run to Hofsós village, a distance of some 30 km or so (and in vintage Icelandic wind).

Upon coming to Hofsós we chanced upon some local children who were working in a summer job for the community. Impromptu, these children laid down their work and joined us for a while. Of course, events like these only take place in Iceland, but the kids seemed to enjoy it - at least it beats plucking weeds! The names of the Hofsós children are: Ágústa Lóa Jóelsdóttir, Sunna Dís Bjarnadóttir, Urður Jónsdóttir, Kristínn Anna Steinsdóttir, Ævar Jóhannsson, Sædís Bylgja Jónsdóttir, Dagur Magnússon, Guðrún Sonja Birgisdóttir, Halldór Már Sævarsson, Signý Sigurmonsdóttir.

Shortly after leaving the children from Hofsós we met runners from one of the most remarkable running clubs in the whole of Iceland. Árni Stefánsson, a sports teacher, manages a running club that counts 70 members - not bad for a community of 4800. The running club maintains a regular schedule and, for example, last Saturday, they went running in the mountains. You can read more about this running club at a nice news-orientated website of Skagafjörður county: www.skagafjordur.com Also, the running club has organised a group trip to the Budapest marathon where a whole 1% af all inhabitants of Sauðárkrókur town joined.

The running club was represented by Ársæll Guðmundsson, county governor, Snorri Björn Sigurðsson, former county governor, Jón Þór Jósefsson and Sævar Birgisson who carried the torch to Sauðárkrókur town.

Kids from Skagafjörður county Youth Sports Club ran onwards from Sauðárkrókur. Interestingly, their coach, Anna Elísabet, first heard about the World Harmony Run on her way to a training session with the kids. She quickly decided to change today's training session to a long-distance run with a torch. The YSC Skagafjörður kids travelled more than half the way to Varmahlíð or 16 km. Their names are:

Anna Elísabet Hrólfsdóttir, Inga María Baldursdóttir, Linda Björk Valbjörnsdóttir, Elín Lilja Gunnarsdóttir, Snæbjört Pálsdóttir, Óli Grétar Óskarsson, Gísli Rúnar Óskarsson, Guðjón Ingimundarson, Þorsteinn Jónsson, Karen Jónsdóttir.

It is safe to say that the World Harmony Run would have been much less successful if not for all these good people who have been ready change all their plans and participate in the Run - often with just a couple hours notice. We can never show enough gratitude to these good people who have shown us friendship and harmony in the spirit of the Run.

Frank ran the final stretch today.

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