WWF and Grundfos support the Seine River Run: Mina Guli to run the entire river ahead of the Paris Olympics

In the run-up to the Paris 2024 Games, globally renowned water advocate, Mina Guli, will be running the length of the Seine from source to sea to underline the efforts being made to restore the river - and call on other cities and countries to restore their rivers. WWF and Danish water solutions company Grundfos are backing her epic feat and the call to accelerate efforts to restore our rivers to help tackle the climate and nature crises - and drive sustainable development.

Mina Guli, the globally renowned water and environmental advocate, is returning to France for her next epic feat - running 20 marathons in a month (5 June - 4 July) along the Seine from source to sea to highlight the importance of healthy rivers and call for urgent action to restore degraded rivers across the globe.

Having run 200 marathons in one year for water during the first phase of Run Blue in 2022-23, Mina will run 848km in 30 days ahead of the Paris 2024 Games to draw attention to the efforts being made to clean up the Seine and the need for all cities and countries to restore their rivers to help tackle water, climate, and nature crises.

“Mina runs ridiculous distances because it’s ridiculous that we continue to degrade rivers across the world instead of restoring them,” said Stuart Orr, WWF’s Global Freshwater Lead. “Mina’s message is clear: cities and countries should restore the rivers that flow through them because healthy rivers are central to enhancing water and food security, reversing nature loss and adapting to climate change. Restoring rivers is essential to a brighter, sustainable future.”

“Mina Guli is a true champion of water, and Grundfos is proud to support Mina on her 848km-journey along the Seine, highlighting the importance of restoring and taking care of

the world’s rivers. Grundfos’ promise to respect, protect, and advance the flow of water fits perfectly with Mina’s passion for protecting water, and we are - just like Mina - ready to go the extra mile when it comes to water management and looking after our most precious resource,” said Virgina Newton-Lewis, Water Sustainability Director, Grundfos.

Mina’s run along the Seine will be the first time someone has run from Source-Seine to Le Havre. It is also the prologue to the next phase of the RunBlue campaign - the ‘World River Run’, which will see Mina run thousands of kilometres in 2025-26 along iconic rivers on six continents to raise awareness of the crisis facing the world's rivers and to inspire governments, businesses and communities to take action to protect and restore them.

Mina Guli said: “I am running the entire Seine to spotlight the immense efforts needed to clean up the river. And as the world gathers in Paris for the 2024 Games, it also sends a message far beyond France. It shows the importance of restoring our rivers, which are the arteries of our planet - connecting land and sea, sustaining rural communities and mega-cities, underpinning our societies and economies, and sustaining extraordinary biodiversity.’

About Thirst Foundation
Thirst Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness, bringing urgency to stakeholders and delivering meaningful action on clean water. Established in 2012, Thirst's mission is to close the gap in achieving UN Sustainable Development Goal number 6, which is to ensure that every person around the world has access to safe drinking water and sanitation. Thirst runs inspirational, out-of-the-box campaigns to put water at the heart of the world's agenda. Thirst is the organizing body that conceives, plans and carries out Mina Guli's work. For more information, visit thirstfoundation.org

About WWF (World Wildlife Fund)
For over 60 years, WWF has been working to help people and nature thrive.

As the world's leading nature conservation organization, WWF works in nearly 100 countries. At every level, WWF works with people around the world to develop and deliver

innovative solutions that protect the communities, wildlife, and places in which they live. WWF works to help local communities conserve the natural resources conserve the natural resources on which they depend; transform markets and policies towards sustainability; and protect and restore species and their habitats.

WWF connects cutting-edge conservation science with the collective power of its partners on the ground - more than one million supporters in the United States and five million worldwide - and through partnerships with communities, businesses, and governments.