International Olympic Day - June 23
Symbolic Anniversary
Olympic Day was introduced in 1948 to commemorate the birth of the
modern Olympic Games on 23 June 1894 at the Sorbonne in Paris. The goal
was to promote participation in sport across the globe regardless of
age, gender or athletic ability.
A Growing, Global Gathering
Over the last 20 years Olympic Day has been associated with Olympic
Day Runs all over the world. From 45 participating National Olympic
Committees (NOCs) in the first edition in 1987, the numbers have grown
to nearly 200 participating NOCs. What’s more, many of the participating
NOCs are in Africa – proving the event’s worldwide appeal.
The Olympic Day Run owes a debt of gratitude to the support provided
by McDonald's, which in 2003 became worldwide partner to the event.
Move, Learn, Discover
Olympic Day is nowadays developing into much more than just a sports
event. Based on the three pillars “move”, “learn” and “discover”,
National Olympic Committees are deploying sports, cultural and
educational activities. Some countries have incorporated the event into
the school curriculum and, in recent years, many NOCs have added
concerts and exhibitions to the celebration. Recent NOC activities have
included meetings for children and young people with top athletes and
the development of new web sites directing people to programmes in their
neighbourhood.
