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Run4Unity 2026: Every Event in the Global Race for Peace
Discover Run4Unity 2026, a global race bringing thousands of young people together in the name of peace. From Italy to Uganda, Brazil to Hong Kong, the relay of solidarity and sport forms just one part of United World Week 2026.
Run4Unity is back. Part of United World Week 2026, this race for peace has been going on for over twenty years, reaching the furthest corners of the planet to advocate for global unity in the face of our current climate.
The largest and most uplifting race in the world, Run4Unity celebrated its twentieth anniversary in 2025. It is the only race that embraces the entire planet, planting seeds of hope with a wave of peace, joy, and unity.
This year Run4Unity is back and better than ever. As ever, the event reminds us of the inherent beauty of the human race, even in difficult times, like the world is currently facing.
From time zone to time zone, from the islands of Fiji to the islands of Hawaii, from Europe to Asia, from Oceania to America, this worldwide relay tours the Earth once again in 2026. The goal? To renew a commitment to building fraternity, beyond languages, traditions, cultures, and religions – and to demonstrate that this is possible.
As always, Run4Unity is not about speed, but delivering a message rooted in humanity and love, expressed creatively through community spirit. You do not have to run; everyone is free to engage with the ‘race’ however they wish, through their chosen idea, sport, or activity.
There will be cycling, dancing, singing, playing, spending time together, coming up with creative initiatives – and running for those who wish to, of course. But the important thing is a shared desire for fraternity and harmony across the world’s diverse cultures, with each year’s participants tearing down any obstacles that stand in their way.
Run4Unity 2026 Events: Uniting the World, from Fiji to the Amazon
Once again Run4Unity is embodying all the above values, with stories stretching from Uganda to Croatia, India to the Philippines, Brazil to Venezuela, New Caledonia to Hong Kong, Switzerland to Argentina, and Paraguay to the Dominican Republic – to name only a few.
And, finally, Rome, where everything began in 2005 when Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare Movement, sensed the potential of using sport as a tool to unite young people from around the world.
Ever since the first Run4Unity set off on 9 October that year, a huge number of young people – and people of all ages – have continued to fill the world with what it needs most: peace, love, brotherhood, and unity.
Run4Unity 2026 took place on 19 April in Rome, Italy, during the Village for the Earth event held at Villa Borghese. Part of the Time to Change project, the goal was to develop and spread a culture of giving and sharing, of encounter and dialogue.
Ana, one of the participants, shares: “In addition to those of us who took part in Run4Unity, there were many people who hadn’t been invited but happened to come across us carrying flags that read ‘running for unity’. They saw us singing and wearing T-shirts. It felt very familiar. One of the most beautiful aspects was the intergenerational presence: there were children as young as five and even grandmothers.”
Ana, one of the participants, shares: “In addition to those of us who took part in Run4Unity, there were many people who hadn’t been invited but happened to come across us carrying flags that read ‘running for unity’. They saw us singing and wearing T-shirts. It felt very familiar. One of the most beautiful aspects was the intergenerational presence: there were children as young as five and even grandmothers.”
Several days beforehand – on 9 April in Bwobo, Uganda – Run4Unity saw the students of Bwobo Manam primary school enthusiastically taking part in this event that has brought peace and unity to all the networks of Living Peace, Teens4Unity, and Youth for a United World (Y4UW).
On 12 April in Croatia, Run4Unity brought young people and local communities together to demonstrate their firm commitment to peace and fraternity. In India there will be a youth camp aimed at bringing participants together for activities centred around peace and unity.
In Tagaytay, in the Philippines, Run4Unity will take place on 2 May in the citadel, organised in partnership with local communities and the Focolare Movement’s community centre. Inspired by The Amazing Race, the town has organised plogging events with the help of schools and churches. Also on 2 May the Mariapolis Gloria centre in the Amazon, Brazil, will host a morning of sport for peace.
The following day, on 3 May, Run4Unity will be in New Caledonia, with a whole host of activities and a stand specifically devoted to ‘GEN Activities’, in honour of its sixtieth anniversary. We are told that a strong sense of unity is underpinning all the preparations.
On the same day, in Bujumbura, Burundi, one of the city’s largest working-class neighbourhoods will host the event, spreading a tangible message of hope and togetherness.
Also on 3 May Run4Unity will make a stop at Parque Rivadavia, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The event will bring together young people, families, and local communities for a moment of celebration and a commitment to peace.
Around the same time in Hong Kong, between 3 and 10 May, various activities are planned: benefits meetings, visits to centres helping those in need, community cleaning, and volunteer work at soup kitchens. In celebration of Mother’s Day, flowers will be available to buy, and tangible support will be offered to single mothers and mothers in need.
We have even received news from Paraguay, where Run4Unity will be held on 9 May, thanks to the support of young people and local communities committed to promoting peace. And the following day, on 10 May, the Dominican Republic will host Run4Unity events, inviting young people and local communities to engage in sport and experience unity.
#ChooseToDialogue: the Social Impact of United World Week 2026
These are just some of the many initiatives organised for Run4Unity 2026. The relay forms just one part of United World Week 2026, which is themed #ChooseToDialogue. Each of these events are stages, dots to be connected, integral parts of this global initiative that – where possible – is held in places that are symbols of peace, or on the borders of countries and communities in conflict. In other words, Run4Unity is held in places where witnessing unity and peace is especially significant.
The initiatives featured in this article are just a handful of the many initiatives inspired by this uplifting and meaningful race. For over 20 years the relay has carried positive messages and, in an atmosphere of celebration, brought together children, teenagers, young people, families, groups, schools, churches, and people of all faiths and cultures. It has touched so many people who, when confronted with the challenges of today, have wanted to ‘shout’ their desire for a united world with a smile on their face.
So many people who have chosen dialogue as a tangible tool for building bridges, overcoming divides, and acting in the name of peace and unity every day.
For anyone interested in sharing or learning more about Run4Unity’s story, Annalisa Picardi has directed an online docuseries about the initiative.
Translated into English by Becca Webley