Graz marathon 2005

The participation of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team.

Text Roby Schiltz, Photos Vladimir Balatzky



For all of those who saw the start of the 2005 edition of the Graz marathon it was not to overlook: on the right side of the main field there was a full enthusiastic runner holding high a flaming torch. The speaker announced: "This is the torch of the World Harmony Run, which is going through several European countries, the torch for more harmony and oneness in the world." The people gave a big applause and the torch bearer Prafulla Nocker started to run with enthusiasm. She was the first of the World Harmony relay, made exclusively of members of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team. Ghantika Hammerl, Andrea Kemmann and Tatiana Bercic are the names of the other members of the relay, which was joyfully greeted from the spectators along the track. It was visible that in the Styrian capital the hunger for more harmony and oneness is very strong. The team did a great race an reached the third place among the woman's relay with a time of 3:26:09.



Another member of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team was acting for a good cause. Praban Felgitscher was serving as a pacemaker for a 2:59 time. He was carrying a big balloon on the whole distance and was followed by a group of runners wanting to run under 3 hours. The runner from Graz who run this year a 2:37 time thought this would be easier: "A marathon remains a marathon" his commentary after the race. From kilometer 35 on the plot of followers were getting smaller and smaller. At the end only a handful of runners remained, which crossed with him the finishing line in the time of 2:59:29.



In the halfmarathon another member of the SCMT took part. But the triathlete Christian Klug was not full healthy and finished in 1:49:40.