Have you already heard about Olympic Day? This is where you can move, learn and discover at the same time. Yesterday, participants at the 12th World Sport for All Congress, which is currently taking place in Malaysia, took a closer look at this fascinating event which has evolved enormously over the past decades.

Reaching out across the globe

Since 1948, Olympic Day has served to celebrate the anniversary of the International Olympic Committee, created on 23 June 1894, and the revival of the Olympic Games. In 1987, the IOC’s Sport for All Commission initiated the Olympic Day Run to build a programme of sporting and educational actions around that anniversary, with the objective of getting as many people as possible across the globe moving and experiencing the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect.

How is it done?

But how do you reach out to people on all the continents? This is possible through the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and is supported by Worldwide Olympic Partner McDonald’s. The NOCs organise public sports, educational and cultural activities for millions of people every year, on or around 23 June. The development has been amazing: From 45 participating NOCs in the first edition in 1987, the numbers have grown to around 170 participating NOCs in recent years. Twenty-six per cent of these NOCs are in Africa. Many NOCs are now using local trends to develop the event into a large nationwide celebration.

More than a run

As a result, the Olympic Day Run is much more than just a run. Recent NOC activities include all kinds of variations of “move, learn and discover”, be they sports activities customised for different age groups, educational sessions for children and youngsters with top athletes, new websites that direct you to sports programmes in your neighbourhood, or a discovery tour of sports you could never try before. It is all about spreading the joy of sport and promoting the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect.

Warm up now and keep your eyes open for next year’s Olympic Day activities that will be taking place near you!

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