Students joined a significant global effort for peace when the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run visited Kyneton last week.
The peace run is a torch relay that spans 165 countries with runners from across the globe who bring with them a simple message: peace begins in the heart of all of us.
Runners made their way through Kyneton on Thursday and stopped at Our Lady of the Rosary Primary School for a special scheduled visit.
Kyneton’s own ultra-marathon runner Greg Wilson joined the team, carrying the torch, for the Bendigo-Kyneton leg. Also joining the visit was peace run patron and Australian hero Arnold Dix.
Students met runners from Latvia, Brazil, Russia, Mongolia, Finland and, of course, Australia, and shared in a special moment when Arnold Dix was awarded the Torch Bearer Award.
In 2023, Arnold helped rescue 41 young men who found themselves trapped inside the Silkyara Bend-Barkot tunnel in the Himalayas.
As an engineer and tunnel expert, Arnold worked with a team to bring the men to safety. In telling his story, he emphasised the importance of kindness and teamwork.
While Arnold told students he was “more of a wombat” working in tunnels, than a runner, he was proud to be part of the peace run and spreading its positive message.
Students each had the chance to hold the torch and share their feelings of peace and goodwill before joining the runners for a short lap of the schoolgrounds. Students also presented the team with peace artworks for an exhibition in Rome at the Colosseum.
This year’s peace run began in Australia at Canberra on April 26 and is expected to finish in Canberra on August 13.
The Bendigo-Kyneton leg is 160km of the total 15,500km Australia trip to take place over 111 days.
This is the third time the peace run has been taken right around Australia. Previous years were 2008 and 2013.
Students Tom and Harry hold the torch. 
