The youth is running for a good cause at Tallinn’s Relay Run

The Teatejooks Relay Run has grown into one of Estonia’s largest youth sporting events since its launch in 2006, by inviting students from grades 5 to 9 to run in stadiums and parks across Estonia. Supported by the INDIGO Foundation, the run gathered more than 2000 children in Tallinn and promotes health and physical activity, while raising funds for a good cause.

The event invites students from grades 5 to 9 to run in 29 different locations across Estonia, from Tallinn’s Song Festival Grounds to Narva, Räpina, Valga, Kuressaare, and Kärdla.

This year’s Relay Run took place on 23 September, which was also the start of the European Week of Sport in Estonia. The amount of participants was really high : over 14 000 children took part in the run nationwide. At the Tallinn event alone, held at the Song Festival Grounds, around 2,100 students gathered to run, supported by cheering crowds, including the Indigo Neo Tallinn team. Indeed, this project was proposed to the INDIGO Foundation by the Indigo Neo teams based in Estonia following a call for projects and a vote by Estonian employees.

The primary goal of the Relay Run is to promote healthy living and physical activity among young people, while also serving a worthy cause. Each year, the run supports children at the Haapsalu Neurological Rehabilitation Center (HNRK), a facility dedicated to helping young patients who have lost mobility regain their independence.

A charity number is available during the event, allowing the adults to support HNRK activities. Young runners take part in this effort by wearing t-shirts displaying the number, to encourage donations from the public. This year, funds were being specifically raised to purchase a reaction wall for the HNRK center, which will be used in therapy sessions to engage young patients in meaningful activities.