To preserve the international aspect of the event, however, the event’s organizers, the Hungarian Association of Military Sports Clubs and the Youth Atlantic Treaty Association of Hungary, provided an opportunity for Allied Land Command members to take part in the event from the Command’s home location of Izmir, Turkey. LANDCOM Chief of Staff, Major General Metin Tokel, approved participation of LANDCOM personnel, while emphasizing the importance of following all the necessary measures to avoid spreading COVID 19 in light of the global pandemic.
It is a great event with different activities – runners from across the Alliance running in the best places of Budapest, with the finish line at the Buda Castle,
Allied Land Command participants for Budapest's NATO run form up in front of LANDCOM headquarters before the start of the race. The NATO run is an annual event held in Budapest every year and NATO members from all over the Alliance normally travel to Hungary to participate. The Hungarian contingent at LANDCOM received permission to participate in the event remotely this year due to COVID-19 travel and health constraints.
To meet the limitations imposed by COVID restrictions, only one member per nation was allowed to participate in the event, comprised of a running route that that skirted the inside of the LANDCOM Headquarters perimeter.
“We will not compete with the folks running in Budapest, because the climate and the route is much different,” said Lieutenant Colonel Kiss.
“But we agreed, that it will not stop us from pushing ourselves to the limit, and showing that regardless of COVID, the Alliance is active, and we can still continue fulfilling our mission.”