He say's they're a bunch of "crazy guys running around the country." He's holding a flaming metal torch when he says this, so it's hard to argue with him.

But Edi Serban isn't as crazy as he says, and his vision of world harmony may not be that far off, given the response it's had from people around the world.

Serban, from Romania, was one of several runners who stopped Monday in Helena to spread their international message of unity, understanding, peace and friendship.

As a member of the World Harmony Run, Serban and his teammates will log 10,000 miles during a cross-country trek from the United Nations in New York and back. The circuitous route touches each of the lower 48 states and is part of a global relay involving 80 countries.

"We never get into the discussion of politics because it never ends," said Serban from the start. "We say instead that harmony begins with me."

"This isn't a political message," added Arpan deAngelo of New York City. "We sing songs and tell people where we're from. We teach people words in our native languages. We try to give it an international flavor."

In Montana, it's hard to get more international than Monday's spectacle. Among the runners were Francesco Murianni of Italy, Vladimir Salnicov of Moldova and Dmitro Grygoryivsky from Ukraine.

The group made fellow runner Julian Marks of North Carolina seem local.

"Before I did this, harmony was just a dream - something I didn't feel deep inside my heart," said Murianni. "After seeing so many people from so many places, I now believe that we can create a better world."

The group stood on the steps of the YMCA where it presented its torch to a small group of curious onlookers. The runners sang the World Harmony Theme Song and shared stories from home - why they chose to participate in the grueling long-distance effort.

Several runners have gone through three pairs of shoes. They eat and sleep in an old Ford RV. Each state, they said, has something special to offer.

"When I used to run in Romania, I was Romanian," said Serban. "When I ran in Europe, I became European. Now that I'm running in the United States, I feel like an American."

The team left the United Nations in April and plans to return on Sunday, August 13. For more information call 1-888-882-4081, or log on to www.worldharmonyrun.org.

"Doing this changes your mind," said Salnicov. "It gives you a different view of the world."