Runners with the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run carried a flaming peace torch through downtown Aberdeen early Sunday as part of a cross-country relay promoting individual acts of peace.
Runner Sarankhuu Jargal of Mongolia arrived carrying the torch. He ran alongside teammates Devashishu Torpy of England, Salil Wilson of Australia, and Natabara Rollosson and Arpan DeAngelo of New York City.
The group represents an international team of runners from eight countries traveling across the United States in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary. The runners share a message that peace begins with each individual and encourage communities to reflect on their hopes for peace.
“The Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run is a global torch relay that offers everyone in the world a chance to express their longing for peace,” reads the group’s mission statement. “Since its founding in 1987, the Run has visited almost every country on earth – over 150 nations and territories – and touched the lives of millions of people. We are all sisters and brothers in a world‐family. The goal of the Peace Run is to expedite humanity’s efforts to make our world a oneness‐home for all people. We run together to create a world founded on peace.”
The team planned to cover about 76 miles Sunday along U.S. Route 501 between Aberdeen and Florence, South Carolina, passing the torch between runners along the route.
While waiting for the torch to arrive, Torpy, DeAngelo, and Wilson commented on the beauty of downtown Aberdeen and appreciated the town’s architecture, including the nearby Page Memorial Library and Page Memorial United Methodist Church.
After Jargal arrived, Sandhills Sentinel assistant editor Abegail Murphy was even invited to take a turn holding the torch. Throughout the years, the torches have been held by people from all walks (and runs) of life, including Mother Teresa, Pope Francis, and Muhammad Ali.
The international team also stopped briefly for coffee at High Octane before continuing south toward Florence.
Founded in 1987 by spiritual teacher Sri Chinmoy, the Peace Run is a global torch relay that invites people to hold the torch and express their hopes for peace. Since its founding, the relay has traveled through more than 150 countries and territories and logged nearly 400,000 miles, now including Moore County.
As the runners continue to make their way across the country, the group maintains that the torch’s flame symbolizes hope, the enduring spirit of unity, and a “message that peace begins with the individual.”
To learn more about the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run, visit www.peacerun.org/us/
Abegail Murphy | Assistant Editor
Article and photos by Sandhills Sentinel assistant editor Abegail Murphy. Abegail has been writing for Sandhills Sentinel since 2021.
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