Revista Maratón Valencia 2019

141 AIMS � AIMS • For anybody it is a secret that within AIMS basic objectives there is one with a special relevance, the integration of social and cultural values in the sportive context of any entity devoted to foster and promote a sport, in our case the running in gen- eral and the marathon as its maxiamum expression. Looking behind we are able to see the programmes and activities held along our History: Children’s races in under-developed areas, the AIMS Marathon Museum of Running “Marathoneum” in Berlin, the permanent communication efforts thru our Distance Running magazine and our aims-worldrunning.org website, the Best Marathon Runner Gala awarding the best man and woman marathon athletes, the events considered most social, green or solidary, as well as the personal lifetime devoted to our sport, closing the year with a symposium addressing and debating subjects considered of the highest importance by race directors. Following our aim, we keep willing to grow, improving not only the best sportive results but offering cultural and social complements which, thru our projects, could contribute to the overall improvement of both our races and their surrounding environment; in summary, working towards providing better conditions to our athletes by being constantly looking for the best outcome of our athletic and citizenship quality. 2019 has been chosen, within the overall objective of fostering and promoting marathons and distance races over the world, as the year to enlarge this scope by launching three commissions (Safety-Security, Women, and Sustainability) with profession- al teams and special working plans to be worked out and be presented at the above aforementioned Symposium in Athens. The first one will have Mike Nishi (Chicago Marathon) as its chairman, Martha Morales (Tangamanga Marathon, Mexico) and George Kazantzopoulos (Founder of the NGO ‘Institute Team for the World’) being the respective ones of the second and third, all built up with experts on each one of the involved areas at their events. AIMS is proud of actively contributing to improve not only the sportive conditions of race members of our Association but also of enlarging their quality towards achieving the desired excellency we all are looking for at our race organizations. Paco Borao, AIMS President In Search of Excellence The social side of AIMS