Sport Aid was the vision and dream of Chris Long. Inspired by Bob Geldof and Live Aid, Chris believed that people could do more than listen to music and make donations – they could actively engage in the cause.
Held in May 1986, Sport Aid was a festival of all-star exhibition events in various sports, including the Ultimate Cricket Match, where the West Indies took on the Rest of the World, and an ice skating spectacular featuring Torvil and Dean.
The main event, however, was the Race Against Time. This 10 km run was held simultaneously in 89 countries, and timed to coincide with the UNICEF development conference in New York City. Nearly 20 million runners from all over the world took up the challenge, raising money for African Famine Relief and putting pressure on governments to effect change.
