A worldwide running event to benefit local charities in Babylon, Amityville, Massapequa and hundreds of locations across the globe takes place Sunday, November 10. The event, World Run Day – The Global Fitness & Charity Challenge, has runners ‘virtually connected’ from city-to-city and nation-to-nation as they run their own distances and make donations to their own local charities. With hundreds of USA cities represented, runners can register for this unprecedented charity event at www.active.com and receive a free event t-shirt.

Whether you are an elite runner, a casual jogger, or just someone finally ready to embark upon a running program, you can be part of this purposeful running event. Create your own course for the day and make a donation to a local charity. Afterwards, post your results on www.runday.com with other runners worldwide. "It’s an event that really makes you feel good inside and out," states World Run Day spokesperson Bill McDermott.

The scope of this project really is worldwide! Now in its fourth year, the event has reached international appeal since arrangements are now being finalized for registration websites to accommodate hundreds of cities in the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Translation specialists are also beginning to spread the event to non-English speaking countries as well.

After coordinating the annual event since 1999, the emphasis on the 2002 edition is to create a millennium-like event with cities "switched on" in concert with event day. ‘We all celebrated the millennium event two years ago and it was a fabulous day,’ McDermott recounts. "Despite the great shape we’re in," he says tongue-in-cheek, "we’re certainly not planning to sit around for a Y3K event! We’ll begin our own…and make it significant."

In breaking stride from the traditional run-for-charity model, World Run Day appears to have uncovered something much more dramatic looming over the horizon: An International Day of Charity activated by the running community worldwide. It’s hard to believe that in over 2000 years of being civilized we’ve yet to have an international day devoted to charity ….nor to running for that matter!

This year’s run is dedicated to all local charities that can’t afford a marketing program or an annual running event, only because their funds are depleted for programs that define their mission. Many charities earmark each and every dollar received to aid special programs. Meanwhile, runners, as most cardiologists will tell you, have big hearts. The stage is now set for a big run worldwide, but the major story hopes to be donations made to charities right here on our own doorstep. Take one major step to help create a great day in town.

On-line registration for the event is at www.runday.com