The AEF Commends Agis Emmanouil for his Epic 2421 km Run for Climate Change
The ultramarathon runner, activist and actor Agis Emmanouil completed an epic run for climate change on Friday, November 5, arriving at the finish line in Glasgow where world leaders are meeting for the COP26 conference in what may be humanity’s last chance to avoid planetary catastrophe.
Having started from the historical centre of Athens on 11 August, the modern-day Pheidippides* travelled a total of 2421 km in order to deliver the messages, thoughts and hopes of the plethora of our fellow Europeans who met him, ran with him and contributed in their own way to his ecological action; a runner who, this time in human history, is carrying a great message of peace and solidarity towards a battle that humanity must fight together.
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After leaving Greece two months ago, his first stop were the cities of Italy; from Milan to Padova, where Agis had the pleasure of meeting other climate activists, organisations and citizens who either ran with him for a few kilometres or simply talked with him about our ecological future.
Crossing France from Lyon to Paris, he met with representatives of various communities and a number of supporters who delivered their own messages. And now he has reached the United Kingdom where he continues his immense effort.
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“We cannot continue business as usual. We must urgently start acting for the environment. And the time is limited. We haven’t got the luxury to walk for the environment, we must run for the environment with all our energy. Each and everyone from all over the planet, in their own way.
“The first miles will be difficult but then you adjust and start to enjoy the ride. In this way we can befriend our planet again, which we have turned for years now from an ally to an enemy. The crisis is within us,” Agis said.
*Pheidippides, was the messenger who famously ran a 26-mile distance from the battlefield at Marathon to Athens in order to inform the people that the Athenians won. After giving his message, he promptly collapsed and died from the exertion. The modern marathon race has been created to commemorate his feat.