Promoting peace by running around Aust

But the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run team said the 400 kilometre run would help them promote peace, one person at a time, through health and wellbeing.

Three teams converged on Mount Isa yesterday to speak in local schools and enjoy a formal welcome by the Mount Isa City Council and State Member for Mount Isa Rob Katter.

With runners from 26 countries with different skills and abilities working as one to make the run possible, team spokesman Prachar Stegemann said the main message they spread showed people peace starts within themselves.

"Each one of us has a role to play in bringing peace to the world, it all starts with us," he said.

"If we are peaceful in our world then we are peaceful in our school and in our family and so forth."

The run follows in the teachings of spiritual mentor Sri Chinmoy who believed physical fitness was a gateway to health, happiness and ultimately peace.

"The real key to peace is happiness and the key to happiness is personal fulfilment so running is a great way to do that," he said.

"We run with a torch because the flame symbolises the flame we each have in our own hearts, that longing for peace that everyone has."

" The peace run is about giving everyone an opportunity to express that longing in a simple, natural way."

The team are nearly two thirds of the way through their massive but one of their longest stretches was the leg they completed to Richmond yesterday.

The group was treated to free accommodation at the Moondarra Accommodation Village and a hot buffet breakfast during their stay in Mount Isa before heading east along the Overlander's Way.

Australian travel journalist and Australian Peace Runner Noivedya Juddery said the team would be looking for somewhere to get a pizza after their long day of running in the hot North West sun.

The group will head east until they hit Townsville's coast and continue south to Canberra by August 15.