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The Sanctuary Runners, a Cork-based movement that promotes solidarity through sport, are spearheading the Global Solidarity Run this weekend, a worldwide event aimed at supporting forcibly displaced people and those living in extreme poverty.
Founded in Cork in 2018, the organisation has quickly grown, and this 48-hour run marks its largest international initiative to date. The event, which is supported by Irish Aid, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Ireland Funds, brings together participants from 75 countries.
The run began yesterday evening on a remote beach in the Solomon Islands, where a group of local islanders donned blue — the signature colour of the Sanctuary Runners—and took part in a beach run.
This small Pacific island nation is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, with rising sea levels threatening the homes and livelihoods of many residents.
Bettie Perry, originally from the Solomon Islands but now living in Co Tipperary played a key role in organising the event in her homeland.
“They were delighted to take part,” Ms Perry said of her friends and relatives. “Our country is small and often overlooked, but because of rising sea levels, many people are being forced to leave their homes. The sea robs them of everything, and this run makes us feel seen and heard.”
The Global Solidarity Run has drawn a wide array of participants, with people walking, jogging, and rolling in wheelchairs in a show of global unity.
Graham Clifford, the founder of the Sanctuary Runners and Head of International Development, expressed awe at the level of support.
“As the pictures and videos roll in, we’re seeing this blue wave of positivity, decency, and respect for all spreading across the globe—it’s incredible,” Mr Clifford said.
“We’ve had fishermen in the South Pacific, students in Japan, jungle runners in Vietnam, hundreds of participants in Dakar, Senegal, refugees in camps in Northern Syria, aid workers in Darfur, people in Kyiv and other cities in Ukraine, and of course our Sanctuary Runners groups in Ireland and the UK. It’s been a powerful display of solidarity.”
Cork City Council staff and councillors participated in a city-based run to show their solidarity. Irish diplomatic missions across the globe are also actively involved, particularly in countries where Irish Aid has made significant impacts over the past 50 years.
In a message of support to the participants President Michael D. Higgins praised the initiative and highlighted the event’s role in promoting social justice and a more balanced connection between economy and ecology.
“Whether you are running, jogging, or walking today, the solidarity you show to those forcibly displaced or living in extreme poverty is an example of the humanitarian values we need globally,” he said.
The Global Solidarity Run spans from the Solomon Islands to French Polynesia, with thousands of participants in cities across Europe, the Americas, and beyond.
Runners are gathering in locations such as Brasilia, Buenos Aires, Bogota, Mexico City, Boston, New York, Austin, Los Angeles, Ottawa, and San Francisco. The event will conclude on Sunday morning, Irish time, in the islands of French Polynesia.
Sanctuary Runners, which now has 40 groups across Ireland, continues to grow as a force for solidarity through sport. For more information about the movement, visit sanctuaryrunners.ie.