- Title: FINLAND: Finns shed their clothes in Naked Run near Padasjoki
- Date: 16th June 2009
- Summary: RUNNER STRETCHING LEGS CLOCK HEAD ORGANISER AARNE HEINO TALKING, WELCOMING RUNNERS WOMAN WITH FUNNY RACE HAT HEINO AND RUNNERS RUNNERS GETTING READY FOR START (SOUNDBITE) (English) DANISH PARTICIPANT LAUST, SAYING: (Why are you here?) Well to join the NAKUKYMPPI (Naked race) (How did you pick this race?) Well, because we don't have Nakukymppi in Denmark, and I have lots of friends in Finland and they thought this would be the right thing to do" START CROWD CLAPPING RUNNERS PASSING BY SPECTATORS CHEERING (SOUNDBITE) (English) HEAD ORGANISER AARNE HEINO, SAYING: "It might be, we are different. It's difficult to say what way, but we are different and we are mentally maybe quite strong, even though it sometimes doesn't look like that." (So running naked in the Finnish nature, what would be the message with this?) "We can say that the message is: - look, we have beautiful nature, we can enjoy it and we invite people to enjoy it also from other countries, and we have something which is not typical everywhere in the world." WIDE OF FORREST RUNNERS PASSING CROWD CHEERING RUNNERS ON COUNTRY ROAD TRAFFIC SIGN SAYING "NO ENTRY" MEN APPROACHING TO FINNISH LINE RUNNERS CROSSING FINNISH LINE (SOUNDBITE) (Finnish) IRJA VESTERINEN FIVE-TIME PARTICIPANT, SAYING: "This is nothing really special any more as I have done it at least five times already and every time I completed to full ten kilometres. This is a routine drill for me except that this year the organisers asked us to run with hats on, and I came up with this one, a flower composition" SPECTATORS AT AWARD CEREMONY THE WINNERS CLOUDS PASSING LANDSCAPE AT SUNSET
- Embargoed: 1st July 2009 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Finland
- Country: Finland
- Topics: Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVA34H72A8ABB55NLVBEOR80VOK4
- Story Text: The annual Naked Run took place in the forest near Padasjoki in southern Finland on Friday (June 12).
How the participants get around the ten kilometre track is of less importance than what they wear - or don't wear.
They can choose to run, walk or Nordic walk through the forest landscape but have to adhere to a strict dress-code. According to the rules, the runners are allowed to wear only shoes, socks and something on their heads.
The annual event has been taking place since 2003. Every year, more and more people have come to Padasjoki too take part in this unusual race.
Danish participant Laust said had been persuaded by his Finnish friends to take part.
"We don't have Nakukymppi in Denmark and I have lots of friends in Finland and they thought this would be the right thing to do," he said.
The idea came to the organiser Aarne Heino when he and his family celebrated summer solstice at a friend's cottage in Padasjoki. Every year they would kick-off the celebrations by running ten kilometres, joking about running naked.
It took them ten years to realise the idea.
Only four runners turned up the first year but the competition has grown steadily and more and more people join up to watch the runners.
This year 82 runners took part in the competition and around 500 people had come to watch.
"It might be, we are different. It's difficult to say what way, but we are different and we are mentally maybe quite strong, even though it sometimes doesn't look like that," Heino said when asked why such an event was taking place in Finland of all places.
According to Heino, the aim of the competition was to show that jogging is fun but also to highlight the importance of physical exercise and that being naked is natural.
He said it was also important to show that it is possible to combine humour with sports while enjoying the beautiful Finnish countryside.
"We can say that the message is - look, we have beautiful nature, we can enjoy it and we invite people to enjoy it also from other countries and we have something which is not typical everywhere in the world," Heino said.
Irja Vesterinen finished her fifth naked run on Friday wearing a flowery hat.
"This is nothing really special any more as I have done it at least five times already and every time I completed to full ten kilometres. This is a routine drill for me except that this year the organisers asked us to run with hats on, and I came up with this one, a flower composition," she said.
The Naked Run kicks off the very special and unusual Finnish sporting season.
Over the summer months, the brave, strong and hardened will have the opportunity to compete in the wife-carrying competition, sauna and air-guitar world championships and for the frustrated mobile phone users, there is the mobile throwing competition in late August. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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