REUNION GETS READY FOR FOURTH ‘PANDATHLON’
(Posted 05th September 2015)
Reunion’s town of St. Philip this year hosts the fourth edition of ‘Pandathlon’ on September 13th. This event, dedicated to lovers of nature walker, intends to raise their awareness of environmental protection in an original way to contribute to the preservation and conservation of the island’s territory. Organised for the first time in Reunion in 2012, the ‘Pandathlon’ is an eco-sports event organized in collaboration between the Regional Council of Reunion Island and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) organization in France. The power walks, three routes are available for participants, is above all a unique human adventure which combines sport and environmental protection.
The ‘Pandathlon’ comes as a doublechallenge as was the case in previous years. On the one hand it is a sporting challenge for individual participants, groups or families through eco-hiking. On the other hand, the event includes the dimension to serve as a fundraiser in order to fund projects dedicated to maintaining and preserving the island’s unique biodiversity. This year, participants will have the chance to hike the very jagged coast of Reunion’s Wild South, land of contrasts between dark volcanic cliffs and the deep blue Indian Ocean.
The sporting event is open to all and includes three differentcourses, adapted to the levels of fitness of the expected large number of participants: a 20 kilometre high performance circuit, a 10 kilometre circuit and a family and child friendly 5 kilometre circuit.
The hike is of course not a competition per se but rather to encourage a fun outing in a friendly way to promote changes in environmental behaviour and to the promotion of eco-friendly outdoor activities.
Pandathlon Partners in 2015 – © Laurent Ample
Beyond highlighting environmental issues, Pandathlon also represents a tremendous opportunity to promote the adventure image ofReunion, contributing to the tourism development of this French region, through the vast network of WWF France.
Two journalists were invited on the initiative of Reunion Island Tourism (IRT) to cover this event: a journalist from the French website Notre-planete.info (600,000 visitors permonth), and a reporter from La Libre Belgique (230.500 readers daily).
Notably will this year the women’s basketball team from Reunion and champions of France in 2015, sponsor the fourth edition of ‘Pandathlon’.Through them will values ??linked to sport and respect for the environment be highlighted as participants enjoy the great outdoors of Reunion island and the exceptional landscapes of the island which was declared a World Heritage by UNESCO.
For more destination information about the island click on www.reunion.fr
