Canadians sprint in support of trail-blazing Afghan women

KABUL who often face threats for participating in long-distance races, thousands of Canadians took part in so-called secret marathons on Wednesday.

Coming ahead of International Women’s Day on Friday and the release of a new documentary “The Secret Marathon,” the events were organised in 16 cities across Canada, the Canadian TV reported.

Due to be released this year, the documentary highlights the enterprising Afghan women who participated in marathons despite cultural and social barriers and security threats.

Hirra Farooqi, the documentary’s production assistant, was quoted as saying: “Some women were being called prostitutes just for going out to run and getting terrorist threats from some groups for doing so.”

The races raise awareness and support for gender equality in `war zones like Afghanistan where even a short jog outside comes with great risk.

Claudette Warren and Virginia Hobbs, who met running, organized the St. John's event. (Jeremy Eaton/CBC)

The first secret marathon was held in Afghanistan in 2015. The event was kept secret to protect women from attacks or persecution.

PAN Monitor.mud