Announcing the 2021 Free to Run Virtual Race!
Come race in solidarity with our participants in the second annual Free to Run Virtual Race! Show your support for the women and girls in our programs in Afghanistan and Iraq by running alongside them virtually this November.
Sign-up for a 5k, half marathon, or marathon race, of your choice. Register your race details by November 20th and run, walk, or hike your race anytime during the month of November. There’s no need to be a runner to participate! We strongly encourage everyone to join in to show their support for the women and girls in our program at this critical moment in history. Whether it’s a family event or weekend warrior run, all are welcome!
Charity Manager Ericka wearing a Free to Run buff!
When you sign up, we will match you with one of our program participants and you’ll receive a personalized video from them so you can race virtually together! The Free to Run participant will take you on a journey through her own community where she runs, sharing facts about her daily life and community. Our Afghan staff and members of the Free to Run community are still scattered across numerous locations, but some will join you to update you on their journeys. Some of these routes will include:
A city park run in Iraq
A hike through the mountains of the Kurdistan region of Iraq
A run with an Afghan participant resettled in Canada
A run with an Afghan participant through a park in Pakistan
All participants will receive a race certificate and their very own Free to Run buff!
We also have swag for runners who would like to use this opportunity to fundraise for Free to Run. Fundraisers who raise $350 by November 30th will receive a Free to Run t-shirt. Fundraisers who raise $500 or more will receive an invitation to a special Zoom call with Free to Run participants! This is a unique, one of a kind opportunity to hear how your support will impact the lives of our female athletes, and to be inspired by their stories.
Please note that swag packages will be mailed out following the month of November and shipping costs will only be covered in the United States. International runners joining from outside the U.S. will be asked to make an additional donation to help offset shipping costs.
Fundraisers will receive additional swag!
All participants are required to self-report their finishing time to us via a Google Form we will share upon registration or by emailing at rsvp@freetorun.org by midnight on 11/30/2021. Results will be uploaded to the ulstrasignup.com website and will count as official results. Race results are on the honor system. You do not need to provide evidence; simply email us at rsvp@freetorun.org with your total cumulative move time (run, walk, or hike) in HH:MM:SS format.
For more information, or if you have any questions on how to link your virtual race to Free to Run, please contact us on: rsvp@freetorun.org.