The World’s longest relay ever attempted is coming through Carmarthenshire

COP27: Thousands Set to Send a Message to World Leaders in Record-Breaking Climate Relay

Thousands of runners are preparing for their stage of a record-breaking relay effort to pass a baton 7,767km through 18 countries containing a climate message from young people to world leaders at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP27. 

Called ‘Running Out of Time’, the mass participation relay from Glasgow, Scotland (COP26 host city) to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt (COP27 host city) will take 38 days and nights and be the longest non-stop relay ever attempted.

The relay starts on September 30th 2022 and the inaugural stage will begin following an opening ceremony hosted by Glasgow City Council, where the message will be sealed in the baton. 

Carried by runners, cyclists and sailors, it will journey on a route through Scotland, Wales, England, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Greece, Cyprus, Israel and Egypt – arriving to Sharm el-Sheikh on November 5th 2022 in time for COP27 which will take place from 6th-18th November 2022.

Runners – from kids to Presidents – have signed up to carry the baton in 5-10km stages of the route which crosses seas, mountain ranges, glaciers, and deserts, villages, towns and capital cities. It will visit hundreds of schools, at-risk locations and climate change projects to inspire and champion local climate action. At the same time, runners will be fundraising for the Foundation for Environmental Education’s Global Forest Fund and Carbon Copy. 

Running Out of Time is organised by The World Relay ltd and made possible thanks to the collaborative effort of a great many partners and supporters. Carbon Copy is one of two official charity partners and is a national charity inspiring big-thinking local action to tackle the climate and biodiversity crises. We have selected 27 projects along the relay’s UK leg which are exemplars of the innovation already being developed by communities and partnerships to tackle climate change and protect people from its worst effects. The aim is to inspire other communities to learn from and copy, to accelerate progress towards a sustainable future.  

Ric Casale, Co Founder of Carbon Copy, says “Carbon Copy is delighted to team up with One Run for this extraordinary event. The relay is so symbolic of the ambition and collaboration we wish to see at COP27, and that we already see in the people working together locally to address the biodiversity and climate crises. This relay will also be a common thread that links thousands of inspiring climate action stories, showcasing leadership at all levels and encouraging more people to join in by doing something similar. Collective local climate action is having an impact globally, and we look forward to taking these stories to COP27 and sharing them with governments from around the world.”

The official relay baton has been created by award-winning Glasgow-based designers 4c Design whose many accolades include the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton. The iconic spiral design of the Running Out of Time baton represents the four essential layers of climate action – international, national, local and individual. 

As part of the relay, pupils from more than 50 countries have so far signed up for a Schools Action Day on 3rd November and up to a million are expected to take part. The exciting virtual educational programme will champion climate change solutions while empowering young people to create an environmentally conscious world through experiential, project-based learning.

People around the world who are unable to run a stage on the physical route won’t miss out. They’re invited to pass the baton during a Global Virtual Relay on November 5th 2022 which is expected to attract tens of thousands of runners in the name of climate action. 

www.running-out-of-time.com