MEDIA

30 Oct 2016

Global Run Valletta, a Great Success

Global Ports Holding hosts latest Global Run charity race in sunny Malta. More than 1,000 runners and walkers from Malta and overseas descended in Valletta on Sunday 30th October and discovered the storybook side of a majestic capital that is marking the 450th birthday in 2016, as part of the Global Run Valletta (GRV). Organized by Global Ports Holding – the world’s largest cruise port operator – the event featured a 10K and a 5K run, as well as a 5K walk that spliced through the stony grandeur of the peninsular city and took off from the magnificent Valletta Waterfront - a cluster of commercial and retail outlets set in the 18th Century restored warehouses often hailed as the jewel in the crown of the equally impressive Valletta Cruise Port. The fifth edition of the increasingly popular Global Run series, although held in Malta for the first time, built on the successes of the previous four runs - three in the port city of Bodrum (Turkey) and one in Kotor (Montenegro). The Malta event firmly established the series as a Global Ports Holding hallmark celebrating the confluence of tourism and active lifestyle.
“As a connector of people and destinations, we are wildly passionate about helping the quality of lives of communities in each of our managed port cities. Global Run series are a fantastic effort to bring travelers and locals together and spark new interactions in a positively competitive environment – all the while raising funds for noble causes,” said Emre Sayin, Chief Executive Officer, Global Ports Holding. According to Sayin, the aim is to organize Global Runs in all of the 13 cruise ports in its portfolio. The Valletta Cruise Port was welcomed into the GPH family in 2015 and joined such destinations as Barcelona, Venice, Malaga, Dubrovnik, Lisbon, Antalya, Kuşadasi, Bodrum, Ravenna, Cagliari, Bar, and Singapore. This global outlook of the company, owing to its international operations and outreach, was reflected at the Global Run Valletta which ended up attracting over 200 foreigners from 49 countries. The rest of the more than 900 participants were Maltese whose enthusiasm to support the chosen NGO of the Global Ports Holding – Puttinu Cares – ran so high that registrations had to be stopped a week in advance of the race. Puttinu Cares works to support the families and relatives of children battling cancer.
The high-quality event was held in accordance with the regulations of the Malta Amateur Athletics Association (MAAA) and the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF).
At the end, Charlton Debono and Michelle Vella Wood, both from Malta won the 10K race in the general men and women category respectively, whilst Piotr Mielewczyk from Poland and Maltese national Josanne Attard Pulis topped the men and women 5K list respectively. Altogether, there were 82 winners from various categories who took home prizes.
Latest on Global Run series can be followed on facebook.com/globalrunseries and instagram.com/globalrunseries.