2^nd International Peace Marathon, Kigali, 14 May 2006

Born from an idea of Mrs Mireille Bastian from the Soroptimist Club Luxembourg Melusina in 2001 and later realised by Mrs Bettina Scholl-Sabbatini from the Soroptimist Club Esch-sur-Alzette, Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, the International Peace Marathon in Kigali was run for the first time on 15 May 2005. The Soroptimist International of Europe and Rwanda with their project “Femmes Artisanes de la Paix” and the “Association des Amis Luxembourgeois du Marathon de Kigali” (ALMK), together with the Rwandan Ministery for Youth, Sports and Culture are co-organizers of the marathon in Kigali under the high patronage of his Excellency the President of the Republic of Rwanda.

The Soroptimist International project “Femmes Artisanes de la Paix” is particularly well applicable after the terrible genocide in 1994, which destroyed all social cohesion. In his address on the occasion of the International Peace Marathon, the Minister for Youth, Sports and Culture expressed himself: « ... the Rwandan people are determined to construct peace on their territory, the whole region and in the world. Sport is used as one of the driving elements for cohesion and social development. ... The government will strive for a successful International Peace Marathon and ensures that it will take place every year ...».

The course of the marathon of 42.195 km is approved and certified by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) and is run in 4 rounds of 10.555 km each. The half marathon is run in 2 rounds and the course of the "Run for Fun" has 5 km. The circuit is quite undulating as each round has a variation in level of nearly 350 m.

With the "Run to School" initiative at this 2006 edition the children were at honour, as the donations of EUR 25,- each, allowed more than 1.000 pupils to run the 5km of the "Run for Fun" track and to be rewarded by a rucksack, a T-shirt and their uniforms and school equipment to be paid for a whole year.

Here the results of 2006 :
Marathon => 252 participants of which 96 arrived of 14 nationalities

• MAL | Kenya | BIJOK Benjamin | 2:22:03
  
• FEM | Kenya | TABITA Kibet | 2:57:27

Semi Marathon => 1135 participants of which 700 arrived of 17 nationalities

• MAL | Rwanda | DISI Dieudonné | 1:05:51
  
• FEM | Tanzania | MAKULA Farida | 1:19:52

Run for Fun => 1212 participants dont 761 arrivés de 9 nationalités

• MAL | Rwanda | TWAGIRIMANA Stéphane | 0:18:11
  
• FEM | Burundi | GIRANEZA Ange Yvette | 0:18:42
  
• Last | Luxembourg | PRIPLATA Vladislav | 1:36:14

Thousands of spectators are bordering the circuit, supporting all the participants, who often encourage each other when someone looses a bit of speed.
During the Marathon run, and until the last participants arrived, traditional, as well as modern, music and dances were continuously performed, only interrupted by applause for the participants crossing the arrival line, even if they still had to run a further lap. All this happened in a pleasing and lively ambience. The closing ceremony ended with the strong moment of the day: A whole lap of the stadium led by the military music with all presidents, ministers, runners, participants and spectators hand in hand as a sign for peace.