In July 2012, a handful of passionate animal lovers ran and cycled from Marathon to Athens in Greece on the hottest day of summer. Encouraged by the experience, the run – known as the Penny Marathon – has become an annual event with teams now participating in countries around the world.

“The point back then was to raise awareness of the plight of stray, abused and neglected cats and dogs in Greece,” says Greek Australian founder Eleftheria Prodromou. “Today, it’s much more than that; we hope to draw attention to all animals suffering at the hands of human beings.”

Named after a Greek stray dog whose life was tragically cut short, the Penny Marathon will take place on 21 July in six cities in four countries across three continents. In addition to raising awareness of adoption and neutering programs and educating the public about acceptable behaviour towards companion and farmed animals, the Penny Marathon is a way to honour the work of volunteers who step up – where inhumane or apathetic systems fail – to save the lives of these animals.

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“The event is also about honouring and acknowledging volunteers in animal welfare. There are many around the world who dedicate their lives to ensuring other species have the right to live peacefully on this planet – a planet we have largely destroyed through greed and violence,” Eleftheria adds.

The Penny Marathon encourages children to get involved through an international drawing competition. This year, several hundred children aged between 6 and 12 submitted drawings expressing the place of animals in our lives. Competition judge, Canadian professional athlete and well known vegan, John Rush, chose a drawing by a young artist from the Netherlands. Her drawing features her adopted former stay dog from Spain, and the words “we are not disposable” to send out the message that pets are for life. The drawing will become a t-shirt which will be sold to raise money for animals in need.

To register for the Penny Marathon in Sydney or to find out more, log onto www.pennymarathon.com. There is a run, cycle and walk component to cater for all fitness levels. In Australia, the Penny Marathon is sponsored by Lea’s Travel and Cruise and Danias Timber.