A good number of women, men and children braved the winds on Sunday 20 May and turned up at Sliema front to take part in the Vostar Womens Day Run and Walk which was organised by the Women in Sport Commission of the Maltese Olympic Committee.

The high winds were no help to the volunteers who were setting up the scene for the run. Many balloons could be seen flying high and banners and gantry had to be tied down securely.

The runners and walkers were treated to a Zumba warm up session which was perfect to set the scene for a fun run. The event kicked off at 9.30am at the sound of the start horn delivered by the MOC president Judge Farrugia Sacco.

The first male to complete the run was Mark Herrera, while Lisa Bezzina was first female in. The others were not far behind.

A commemorative T-shirt was given to all participants, which was worn by many during the run itself. Children were treated to face painting and sponsors gave out product samples and gadgets to visitors to their stands.

“This was the third time that this event was organised,” said Dr Lucienne Attard, Chairperson of the Organising Committee. “The main aim of organising this event is to encourage women, in particular, to exercise on a regular basis as part of a healthy lifestyle and to show them that it can even be fun if they team up with a friend.

“All this however, would not have been possible without the help of the sponsors and all the volunteers, whom we would like to thank. Special thanks to our title sponsor Vostar and to B’Kara St Joseph Running Club and also Multigas, Collis Williams, Kristal and AF Design,” she said.

Several local elite athletes also took part. Top judoka Marcon Bezzina commented: “It was another successful event organised by the MOC. Although the weather was not very encouraging, there were a good number of participants. I feel that for these types of events, we athletes should always participate as we should lead by example. It was also an opportunity to involve women and encourage them to lead a healthy lifestyle”.

The response from the participants was very enthusiastic with many asking us to hold it again next year.