Runners and Route - London Event

LONDON-(April 18, 2007)-A renowned jazz musician, a Scottish gardener and a champion marathoner are among the 20 athletes selected today as official members of the international team that will run around the world in the inaugural 2007 Blue Planet Run, according to an announcement made today by the Blue Planet Run Foundation in conjunction with The Dow Chemical Company, the Run’s presenting sponsor. Running 24-hours a day, seven days a week, the Blue Planet Run team of athletes will traverse the globe in fewer than 100 days to raise awareness and funds to help bring clean drinking water to some of the 1.1 billion people around the world who lack access.

The unprecedented, 15,200-mile Run will circumnavigate the Earth’s Northern Hemisphere and, according to the Run route revealed today, travel through 16 countries including Ireland, England, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Poland, Belarus, Russia, Mongolia, China, Japan, Canada and the U.S. Cities and towns along the Run route will host local events to raise awareness and inspire action among their citizens.

"The global water crisis is one of massive proportions. But there is a solution – and that solution begins with a step," said Jin Zidell, founder and chairman of Blue Planet Run Foundation. "The 2007 Blue Planet Run team will literally deliver the message of safe drinking water around the globe, through some of the world’s most rugged terrain, to reach communities in need while educating people about how they can help make a difference."

Departing June 1 from New York City, the 20 athletes will run 10-mile (16-kilometer), non-stop shifts around the world. The Run, produced by ignition Inc., will visit the UK June 5-7 and will conclude back in New York City on September 4.

"Dow is proud to be the presenting sponsor of the 2007 Blue Planet Run, and our involvement is just one of the ways we are working meet our 2015 Sustainability Goals to help solve world challenges," said Markus Wildi, President of Dow Europe. "As a global company and a world leader in chemistry, our company is uniquely positioned to help provide clean and safe water to those in need. Our 43,000 employees around the world are engaged and energized to help raise awareness and funds that will support global water projects."

They Run to Inspire a Planet

The global team of Blue Planet Run athletes represent 132 nationalities and range in age from 23 to 60. The Foundation selected the group from more than 300 individuals who responded to an open application call.

"I am proud to be taking part in this incredible journey," said Paul Rogan who will be leaving his family and friends in Scotland to be a part this once-in-a-lifetime experience. "Participating in the Blue Planet Run is one way I can use my talent to help spread the word about the global water problem."

Dame Kelly Holmes was present to announce the runner team. "It is an honor to help introduce the official Blue Planet Run team who will be using their special running talents to deliver the global water message to people around the world and help raise awareness about this global issue. It’s great that companies like Dow are aligning with non-profits to address this important issue and to help provide safe drinking water for those in need."

Making a Sustainable Difference One Step at a Time

The global water problem is widespread: nearly 2.2 million people, most of them children, die each year due to diseases related to unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene, according to data from the Water Supply and Sanitation Council – and water-related illnesses are the single greatest cause of human sickness and death worldwide.

Through the Blue Planet Run Foundation’s cost-effective and efficient method of distributing funds (through its unique Peer Water Exchange), 100 percent of individual donations made to the Foundation are contributed directly to sustainable water projects in the rural developing world. To date, Blue Planet Run Foundation has provided funding to 135 water projects in 13 countries.

"Water is essential to human life, yet one fifth of the world’s population is living without access to safe drinking water," said Girish Menon, International Operations Director for WaterAid. "Every human being has the right to safe, affordable water and adequate sanitation – and dedicated organizations like the Blue Planet Run Foundation are making a significant contribution to ensure that we meet the U.N. Millennium Goals and provide safe drinking water for those most in need around the globe."

For complete details of the 2007 Blue Planet Run®, or to make a donation, visit www.blueplanetrun.org.

2007 Blue Planet Run Athlete Team

Lansing Brewer, 60, Raleigh, NC, USA; Mary Chervenak, 38, Winston-Salem, NC, USA; David Christof, 27, Prague, Czech Republic; Laura Dudley, 26, Honolulu, HI, USA; Laura Furtado, 42, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Brynn Harrington, 29, Menlo Park, CA, USA; Sean Harrington, 28, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Dot Helling, 56, Montpelier, VT, USA; Simon Isaacs, 26, Isleford, ME, USA; Sunila Jayaraj, 29, Kolar, Karnataka, India; Richard Johnson, 32, Middle River, MD, USA; Emmanuel Kibet, 28, Eldoret, Kenya; Victor Lararicco, 33, Antigua, Guatemala; Shiri Leventhal, 23, Herzliyyah, Israel; Jason Loutitt, 33, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Melissa Moon, 28, Wellington, New Zealand; Paul Rogan, 37, Forres, Scotland, UK; Taeko Terauchi, 33, Tokyo, Japan; Rudy Van Prooyen, 57, Leiden, Netherlands; Heiko Weiner, 45, Suhl, Germany.

About the Blue Planet Run Foundation

Blue Planet Run Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to raising global awareness about the lack of safe drinking water, and funding working solutions today for the billion people living without ready access to this life sustaining resource. Since 2004, the U.S.-based foundation has funded 135 sustainable water projects in 13 countries which will provide 100,000 people with safe drinking water. The Foundation's signature awareness and fundraising event is the Blue Planet Run, the first-ever around-the-world running relay. For more information about the Blue Planet Run Foundation, or to make a donation, please visit http://www.blueplanetrun.org.
Blue Planet Run is a registered trademark of the Blue Planet Run Foundation.

About Dow

Dow is a diversified chemical company that harnesses the power of innovation, science and technology to constantly improve what is essential to human progress. The Company offers a broad range of products and services to customers in more than 175 countries, helping them to provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products. Built on a commitment to its principles of sustainability, Dow has annual sales of $49 billion and employs 43,000 people worldwide. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.

Dow’s Sponsorship of the 2007 Blue Planet Run®

As presenting sponsor of the 2007 Blue Planet Run®, The Dow Chemical Company is committed to addressing global environmental sustainability issues. Dow’s partnership with the 2007 Blue Planet Run® aligns with the company’s 2015 Sustainability Goals and its commitment to helping solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges. With science, R&D, new products, and the "the human element," Dow pledges to contribute to solutions for some of the most serious problems faced by the most vulnerable members of the larger human family: affordable and adequate food supply; decent housing; improved personal health and safety; and sustainable water supplies.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Alysha Crouse
Kaplow for Blue Planet Run Foundation
acrouse@kaplowpr.com
646.747.3598

Carolyn Agnew
GolinHarris for The Dow Chemical Company
cagnew@golinharris.com
312.729.4119

International Team of Twenty Athletes Selected to Participate in the 2007 Blue Planet Run®, A First-Ever Around-the-World Relay

Runners To Carry Message of the Need for Safe Drinking Water