www.olympic.org - Site Officiel du Mouvement Olympique

In January 1948 at its 42nd Session in St Moritz, Switzerland, the IOC approved the idea of an Olympic Day. This celebration would be used to commemorate the creation of the IOC on 23 June 1894 in Paris.

Olympic Day was held for the first time on 23 June 1948, with a total of nine NOCs hosting ceremonies in their respective countries: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Great Britain, Greece, Portugal, Switzerland, Uruguay and Venezuela.

In an effort to encourage all NOCs to commemorate and celebrate Olympic Day, in 1987 the IOC Sport for All Commission launched the Olympic Day Run concept with the objective of promoting the practice of participation in sport by men, women and children from all corners of the world, regardless of athletic ability. From 45 NOCs taking part in the first edition, today over 150 NOCs worldwide participate.

In 2009, the IOC decided to consolidate and perpetuate this success by making Olympic Day Run into a worldwide event henceforth known as “Olympic Day”.

The IOC is therefore returning to its roots thanks to Olympic Day, and hopes to encourage the various sporting, cultural and educational initiatives launched by the NOCs which go beyond the Run itself. Indeed, over the years, the NOCs developed this event by inviting participants of all ages and walks of life to practise physical activity, try out new sports with athletes and volunteers, and discover, understand and put into practice the Olympic values.

Many NOCs also take into account their specific local features and social environment to celebrate this event country-wide. Some have incorporated the event into the school curriculum while others also organise cultural exhibitions and various activities centred on the Olympic values.

Olympic Day, launched on 23 June by the IOC and organised locally by the NOCs, has now become the only annual worldwide event of the Olympic Movement. It thus contributes to disseminating the values and fundamental principles of Olympism across the world.

Olympic Day could not take place without the support and collaboration of McDonald’s, which in 2003 became a worldwide partner of the event. This year, many NOCs will team up with local McDonald’s branches to attract more participants.

This year, the theme of Olympic Day will be “Move, Learn and Discover”. While keeping the traditional Run, the NOCs are going to structure their activities around these three themes:

Move: Through sporting activities, the participants, young or not so young, will feel better (or will be in better shape).
Learn: Sessions with athletes will allow the public to share in their experiences, and learn and put into practice the Olympic values in their everyday life.
Discover: Athletes or volunteers will be able to help the public to discover and practise their sports together.

For information on the activities on offer in your country please contact your NOC.

Have an excellent Olympic Day 2009!