The German Olympic Academy (DOA) celebrated this year’s Olympic Day with a successful run which saw participants from all over the country cover more than 2,700 kilometers.
The date of the Olympic Day, June 23rd, provided the framework for the challenge. From June 21st to June 27th, athletes from all over Germany were encouraged to tie up their running shoes and participate in the Olympic Day Run with (at least) 2, 3, or 6 kilometers.
Different sports federations, such as the German Athletics Association and the German Youth Sports Association for the Disabled, supported the campaign, which was initiated by the DOA and the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB).
Each runner who posted their number of kilometers on social media and nominated friends automatically took part in the raffle for a Team Germany shirt.
Among the participants, a few particularly creative posts stood out: The German Society of Sports Medicine and Prevention documented their runs with a video. Athletes from Team Germany and Team Germany Paralympics supported the campaign.
Johannes Bessell (Para Athletics), Olympic Champion 2016, Thomas Röhler (Athletics), and Ruth-Sophia Spelmeyer-Preuss (Athletics) all took part and called for participation via social media.
Marathon runner and Rio 2016 Olympian Philipp Pflieger also took part in the run with an impressive 33.6 kilometers, the longest individual distance reached.
