GB highlights

Peace Statues

In August 2019 the Peace Run inaugurated two Peace Statues in North Wales. The Peace Run international team carried the torch from Anglesey, across the Menai Bridge to the first statue in Treborth Botanic Garden. The statue, which stands on the national coast path of Wales, was unveiled by Lord Elis-Thomas. The runners continued on and brought the torch to the second statue in Llanberis, by the lake in Padarn Country Park. This has inspired the Peace Statue Challenge: see https://www.peacestatuechallenge.org/

Torch-Holders

Jo Pavey

Jo Pavey is the only British runner and track event athlete to compete in 5 Olympic Games (2000-2016). She won the gold medal in the 10,000 metres at the 2014 European Championships in Zurich at the age of 40 and only ten months after gicving birth to her second child. No female athlete has become a European Champion at that age. She continues to inspire a new generation of athletes with her incredible energy and enthusiasm for her sport.

Steph Twell

At her second attempt at the marathon distance, British athlete Steph Twell sets a new Scottish record. Liz McColgan's record of 2:26:52 remained unbroken for 22 years until the 2019 Frankfurt Marathon. Steph acheived an Olympic qualifying time, a PB and the Scottish record completing the course in 2:26:40.

Steph has had several highs and lows along the path of her running career, and is the perfect embodiment of patience and perseverance. Her love of running is most inspiring.

Jasmin Paris

Jasmin is a champion mountain and ultra-trail runner with a host of world-class performances in races and personal challenges she has undertaken. Notable amongst these are outright victory in the Classic 268 Mile Spine race and becoming the first female athlete to complete the legendary Barkley Marathon.

On a visit to Great Britain, the President of Slovakia, Zuzana Čaputová, meets some of the Peace Run team. She was visiting Brookwood Cemetery to honour the Czech and Slovak veterans who fought alongside the Allies for Peace in Europe.

Since the inception of the Peace Run in 1987, hundreds of thousands of people around the globe, including athletes, schoolchildren and enthusiastic individuals, have held the Peace Torch and expressed their committment to Peace. In the United Kingdom highlights include the lighting of the beacon in Hyde Park in 1995 by Her Majesty the Queen: a lighting of beacons at A Moments Peace, a ceremony held at UCL during the Olympics in 2012: The final ceremony of the Peace Run held at the British Museum in October 2006.

(Below) Her Majesty the Queen uses the Peace Torch to light the first of many beacons to commemorate 50 years of Peace on the anniversary of VE Day in Hyde Park, London in 1995.

Pope Francis holds the Peace Torch in Rome in 2024 and 2016

A Moment's Peace

Each step our relay runners take is powered by the goodwill and support of everyone we meet on the way. We welcome anyone who wishes to participate to please join us and take those steps for Peace, holding the Peace Torch and offering your own hope and dreams for a better and brighter world...

A CELTIC POEM

Deep peace of the running wave to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the shining stars to you.
Deep peace of the Light of the World to you.

Representatives from councils around the UK, head teachers, celebrities and athletes hold the torch to celebrate Peace.