Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-11-08

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Kouros to compete at Kolac 6day race

[02] Thessaloniki, Anshan Chambers cooperation accord

[01] Kouros to compete at Kolac 6day race

The Colac 6-day race Committee "have great pleasure in announcing that Greek Superstar, Yiannis Kouros, without doubt the best Ultra runner in the world will compete in the 20th Cliff Young Australian 6-day race at Colac, Victoria from the 20th till the 26th November 05", according to an announcement by the organisers.

It said that Kouros, who will be travelling from Athens to compete in the event, is the holder of several world records including the 6day track record of 1023.2km (set at Colac twenty one years ago) and the 24hr track record of 303km.

Kouros last competed at Colac in 2000 where he won with 801.6km. "This is still an incredible distance when you consider that he was injured after two days. Kouros is looking at improving this distance this time and looks like being in top form after completing the double Sparthathlon in Greece earlier this year," the announcement said.

Kouros, who was born in 1956 in Tripolis, is well-known all over the world for his decades of mythical and ungroken world records in ultra-running.

He currently holds 113 world records.

Kouros is also an author, poet, compser of songs and instrumental pieces and painter, as well as being acclaimed world-wide as a visionary and supporter and promoter of peace around the globe.

Race commentator, Phil Essam believes that with the addition of Kouros into the field, the race has the potential to be one of the best 6-day races of all times.

Essam said that Kouros would be facing stiff competition from Claude Hardel from France, who ran 923 km in a 6-day race at Germany earlier this year, and two Japanese runners that have excellent results to their name this year: Kenji Okiyama who ran 407km in a 48hr race this year, and Muneharu Kiroda who ran over 250km in a 24hr race at Tapei earlier this year.

"This race has the potential to be one of the best," said Essam.

The race is being run from the 20th to the 26th of November at Memorial Square, Colac. It can be followed online at www.sixdayrace.org.au . There are now thirty seven runners in the field with twelve different countries being represented. Spectators are encouraged to attend and cheer on the runners throughout the six days of the event. There will also be bands playing during the week and several other activities will be happening at the Square throughout the week.

This is the 20th running of the Colac 6-day race and the second year that it has been known as the Cliff Young Australian 6-Day race, and the organisers are hoping to get a lot of runners back from the past 20 years for this year's event.

[02] Thessaloniki, Anshan Chambers cooperation accord

EBETH has already signed memoranda of cooperation with the corresponding Chambers of Beijing and Shanghai, during a recent visit by a business delegation to China.

EBETH second vice-president Emmanuil Vlachoyiannis noted that the Thessaloniki and Anshan Chambers will seek, inter alia, to advance international trade among their members, and in that direction studies will be carried out, information will be exchanged, and trade exhibitions as well as missions to Greece and China will also be organised.

Anshan Chamber vice-president Xia Sun Yang, who visited the EBETH at the head of a five-member delegation, outlined the prospects for cooperation between Greek and Chinese business enterprises.

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