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Irish Examiner
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Sanctuary Runners athletes join initiative to promote World Expo's 'Global Solidarity Run' in Japan
A group of athletes has made the world their running track with a unique solidarity initiative launched this week to promote the World Expo in Osaka, Japan. Now in its second year, the purpose of the Global Solidarity Run is to enable people across the world to run, jog, walk or roll on Saturday, October 11, in solidarity with those who are forcibly displaced or living in extreme poverty. The initiative is the brainchild of the Sanctuary Runners, which was founded in Cork in 2018 to unite refugees, asylum seekers and migrants through running, jogging and walking. The World Expo in Osaka, officially known as Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, is a large-scale international event taking place from April 13 to October 13, 2025, on Yumeshima Island in Osaka Bay. This year's theme is 'Designing Future Society for Our Lives' which focuses on co-creation and collaboration to create a sustainable future. The event will showcase exhibits and cultural displays from over 160 participating countries. Graham Clifford, Sanctuary Runners founder and head of international development, is in Osaka for the run. He described the significance of their participation in the World Expo in Osaka. 'To bring so many people of influence together in one location and extol the virtues of solidarity, friendship and respect for, and with, all in our world is very important," he said. "Now, more than ever, we need to stand up and demand that people are treated with decency and humanity. The overriding themes of world expos down through the decades have been looking to the future and we believe it's just intrinsic that valuing humanity is at the centre of that - what good is innovation without humanity?" The Sanctuary Runners is proud as an Irish organisation to carry that message far and wide, he added. "To find ways to bring people together with a clear humanitarian purpose. This is an extension of the work we have been doing in Ireland for seven-and-a-half years now." The not-for-profit organisation will also hold a promotional run and walk with EU Commissioner Michael McGrath in Brussels later in the summer to raise awareness of its work. Delegates from 30 countries were among those who gathered on the wooden ring surrounding the event centre in Osaka to run 5km in the morning heat as part of the solidarity run launch. A delegation from the United Nations donated a replica of the iconic Peace Bell which rang out three times before participants kicked off the event. The World Expo in Osaka, officially known as Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, is a large-scale international event taking place from April 13 to October 13, 2025, on Yumeshima Island in Osaka Bay. Mr Maher Nasser, assistant secretary general of the United Nations and Mr Ichinoki Manatsu, deputy secretary general of the Expo 2025 Association, could be seen in the crowds. Japan, Ireland, Armenia, Australia, Guatemala and Italy are just some of the countries represented. Also flying the flag are the UK, Portugal, Slovakia, Colombia, Luxembourg, the United Nations delegation and Slovenia. The USA, Malaysia, Cuba, Grenada, Latvia, Korea, the Netherlands, Palestine and Kazakhstan also feature. This is in addition to Germany, the Dominican Republic, and Malta.
Irish Post
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Post
‘Special day' as Irish running group connecting refugees with locals launches in Britain
AN Irish running group which brings refugees together with locals in the areas they now call home has launched in Britain. Founded in Cork in 2018, Sanctuary Runners uses running, jogging and walking to bring together asylum seekers, refugees and other migrants with local residents to promote 'solidarity-through-sports'. The brainchild of former Irish Post sports editor Graham Clifford, the initiative has experienced huge success since its foundation. There are now 42 running groups in place across Ireland and its first UK launched in Brighton yesterday (June 18). Mr Clifford, who is Sanctuary Runners' Head of International Development, will lead Sanctuary Runners GB until a wider team, based in Britain, is in place, he confirmed this week. "Since our very earliest days in Cork we were determined to develop the Sanctuary Runners model internationally,' he said. 'Today is a very special day for us as we know how impactful Sanctuary Runners can be to bring communities together, to build bridges in society and to cut through all the misinformation and hate we see in the modern world,' he added. 'At the core of Sanctuary Runners GB will be a proud central belief that everyone, no matter their nationality, ethnicity, legal status, skin colour, age, gender or sexual orientation deserves to be treated with respect. 'In recent times when we have seen race rioting in different parts of the UK its clear initiatives such as this are needed here. 'We can't wait to roll up our sleeves to start building that wave of solidarity, friendship and respect across Britain as we have done in Ireland." At last night's launch in Brighton, the film Solidarity in Motion, which was commissioned by London Marathon Events - a partner organisation of Sanctuary Runners GB, premiered at the Duke of York theatre. It tells the story of the Brighton Sanctuary Runners Academy - a group of 50 people, made up of 15 different nationalities which included locals, refugees and asylum seekers, who all ran in the Brighton marathon on April 6. Nick Bitel, Chief Executive of the London Marathon Group, helped launch Sanctuary Runners GB in Brighton last night. The organisation plans to launch groups in East London, Merseyside, the North East of England, Coventry and Cardiff in the months ahead. See More: Brighton, Launch, Sanctuary Runners, UK
Irish Examiner
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Record number of Sanctuary Runners gear up for Sunday's Cork City Marathon
A record number of Sanctuary Runners are getting in some last-minute training in preparation for this year's Cork City Marathon on Sunday, June 1 More than 1,200 Sanctuary Runners, proudly wearing their distinctive blue t-shirts, will be on the starting line for this year's race. More than 1,200 Sanctuary Runners, proudly wearing their distinctive blue t-shirts, will be on the starting line for this year's Cork City Marathon. The group will include 52 different nationalities in what will be the largest ever Sanctuary Runners team, running a mix of the 10km, half and full marathon. Sanctuary Runners first took part in the Cork City Marathon in 2018, when 200 ran in the event, and the 'blue wave' of solidarity has continued to grow since then. 'The level of support for the Sanctuary Runners this year has blown us away,' said Graham Clifford, the journalist and broadcaster who founded the hugely popular solidarity-through-sport organisation. Mr Clifford was recently awarded the Lord Mayor's Trophy for his service to the marathon, integration and the community, following a public vote. He said: What we have really noticed this year is a desire by people in Cork to wear the blue and show their solidarity with people who have moved to Ireland from other countries, celebrating diversity, embracing our multicultural city and sending out a clear message to the world that decency, kindness and welcome flow through these streets. Included on Sanctuary Runners team will be 200 runners from direct provision centres across Cork City and County as well as others visiting from Dublin, Athlone and Limerick. There will be 30 Ukrainian participants in Sanctuary Runner blue - as well as some 70 transition-year students from Coláiste and Phiarsaigh in Glanmire and Midleton CBS. Sanctuary Runners, now a registered charity, has welcomed some 35,000 people to events since it first began on Leeside in 2018 and has 42 groups operating across Ireland. Earlier this month it was named 'Community Organisation of the Year' at the Irish Red Cross Humanitarian Awards whose patron is now President Michael D Higgins. Sanctuary Runners, now a registered charity, has welcomed some 35,000 people to events since it first began on Leeside in 2018 and has 42 groups operating across Ireland. It also has a group in Brighton and will launch its new Sanctuary Runners GB organisation in the UK on June 18. It will hold the annual Global Solidarity Run on October 11 to allow people across the world to demonstrate solidarity with all those who are forcibly displaced or living in extreme poverty. Last year participants in 75-countries took part in the initiative and this year organisers hope to grow that number to over 100 countries. The Global Solidarity Run is supported by Irish Aid, the Ireland Funds and the European Commission. Read More Watch: Sanctuary Runners celebrate their 7th birthday at Marina Park
