On the 22nd of July, Manipal Runners’ Club organized the first ‘Footsteps To Inspire’ Annual Global Beach Run. The run was held in 30 other countries on the very same day for the same cause, i.e, ending sexual violence peacefully.
The run started off at 6 am as all the runners assembled outside the EDU building and waited eagerly to get to the starting point of the run which was Malpe new port. The rain gods had been rather kind to us by blessing us with clear skies. MRC was thrilled to see such a great turnout on a Sunday morning, with a majority of newbie runners.
The runners ran on the road alongside the beach, which made every moment of the run absolutely picturesque. The distances were 5k, 10k and 16k depending upon how much every runner wanted to run. It was wonderful to see a huge bunch of first timers push themselves physically and mentally.
The run celebrated the first ‘Footsteps To Inspire’ Annual Global Beach Run the story behind which, is quite captivating. Claire McFarlene, a rape survivor after her long drawn battle with the French legal system, used running as a means to heal herself. She turned this personal battle into something much greater than herself. She embarked upon a journey in order to put an end to the often stigmatized topic of sexual violence in a peaceful way. Claire has run is many countries across the globe I an attempt to end sexual violence.
A huge thank you to Manipal Academy of Higher Education, without whom organizing this run would not have been possible. We, at Manipal are in awe of the Claire’s positivity and strength, she is the very embodiment of the spirit of running, we thank her for involving us in such a beautiful initiative. Another thank you to all of the runners who joined the run with optimism and joy. Until next time!
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