The Korrika running is an exhibition race held every two years in the Basque Country to celebrate and support the Basque language.
The race is organised by the AEK, the association for education in Basque, and usually it is scheduled to last two weeks. The first Korrika was held in 1980, and each one follows a different course, though they always try to cover a large part of Euskal Herria, the historical territories of the Basque Country: Bizkaia, Araba, Gipuzkoa (the "official" version of the Basque Country), Nafarroa (Navarre) and also Lapurdi, Zuberoa and Benafarroa (the French Basque Country).
The
race proceeds continuously without even stopping at night. In order to raise money to promote the
Basque language, each kilometre of the race is "sold" to a particular
individual or company who will lead the race as it passes over the
purchased kilometer, and as race leader will carry the original wooden
baton from the first Korrika, adorned with the banner of the Basque
Country, the Ikurriña.
