We were recognized for our work in promoting peace and social justice across divides in Afghanistan and Iraq through sport, and for developing female leaders as a force for change to bring people together across cultural, ethnic, and religious lines.

COVID-19 has deeply affected all of us. As Europe and North America are slowly starting to emerge from the crisis, in other parts of the world, particularly those suffering from ongoing conflict or the aftermath of fighting, we have yet to see the full effects of the pandemic. We wanted to take this opportunity to provide you with an update on the current situation in the regions where we operate, and an update on our programs.

This past February, Free to Run organized it’s 4th annual Inter-Regional Winter Sports & Leadership Week for 19 participants from our Western Afghanistan, Northern Afghanistan, Southern Afghanistan, and Kabul programs to join our Central Highlands program to try out skiing, ice skating, and other winter sports.

For many runners, the New York City Marathon is at the top of the bucket list. This year, it is going to be an extra special affair. 2020 marks the 50th running of the New York City Marathon, the largest marathon in the world.

Happy New Year to everyone in the Free to Run community - runners, adventurers, and dreamers alike!

The people on the sides of the road cheering each one of the runners was extraordinary. It was beautiful how warmly the people encouraged you and gave you energy during the whole race, how respectfully volunteers would treat you and offer you water and nutrition. In Afghanistan, we do not have as many supporters.

Would you like to run 13.1 miles from Brooklyn to Central Park, and support an amazing cause? Be part of Team Free to Run in March 2020, and run the NYRR United Airlines NYC Half Marathon! We are proud to be an official charity partner and through our partnership with New York Road Runners, we have guaranteed paid entries for a team of runners who are willing to run the half marathon and fundraise for Free to Run. 

This October, 18 Free to Run participants participated in their first-ever hiking and camping expedition this month to Bradost Mountain, located northeast of Erbil in the Zagros Mountains. They camped out under the stars and hiked to Bradost Peak at 2060 meters. 

In July 2019, Free to Run hosted our very first Paralympic Races. Over three days, 18 Paralympic team members traveled from three different provinces to compete in 200 meter, 400 meter, and 800 meter relay races. For 10 of the participants, it was their very first trip to a different province.

In August 2019, Free to Run took 10 participants from across Afghanistan on their first every hiking and camping expedition to the Wakhan Corridor. Over the course of 3 days, the team conquered over 36 kilometers and reached heights of 4,300 meters. For all of them, it was their first experience camping.

When you’re working in regions of conflict, does a logo really make a difference? Back in 2014, we were lucky enough to have an agency partner who gave us a great logo to get started, at no cost. It was clean, workable and we could focus on the many opportunities and challenges that were far more important in those early days. But like an old pair of running shoes, one day we woke up and the brand simply didn’t fit anymore.

In April, Free to Run hosted its first ever Disability & Women’s Rights Symposium over two days in Kabul. The symposium was attended by 70 guests who all work in the fields of disability and women’s rights. Participants ranked the symposium at an 8 out of 10. “In this event, I learned ways to motivate those with disabilities and that all human beings in any position have dreams. Their goals are also so important,” said one attendee.

Free to Run brought together 15 participants from our Western Afghanistan, Northern Afghanistan, and Kabul programs to our Central Highlands program to try skiing, ice skating and other winter sports. For most, this was their very first time. “During my whole life, I have never experienced happiness like I have this week,” said Bahara.

Runner’s World featured Hasina and Zeinab, Free to Run’s 2nd female ultramarathon team. In August 2018, they were training with Tyler Tomasello to prepare for a 250K international ultramarathon in the Gobi Desert, part of the 4 Desert Series from RacingthePlanet.

NBC Nightly News sent a team to cover the 2017 Marathon of Afghanistan. They interviewed Free to Run Founder, Stephanie Case, and multiple female athletes from Afghanistan who are running marathons and breaking barriers. See the full coverage.

In December 2016, Free to Run started a very unique project in Afghanistan. In partnership with the Canadian Embassy in Afghanistan and the Conservation Organisation for Afghan Mountain Areas (COAM), we facilitated the construction of the new ice skating rink, the very first one in all of Afghanistan.

For many runners, the New York City Marathon is at the top of the bucket list. It's the largest marathon in the world and it's hosted in one of the most unique and spectacular settings. Free to Run is proud to be an official charity partner for the 2017 TCS New York City Marathon. Through our partnership, we have guaranteed paid entries for a small team of runners who are willing to fundraise for Free to Run.

Martin Parnell is a 60-year-old Canadian who is famous for completing 250 marathons in a single year, and raising more than $1.3 million for charities. Inspired by an article in The Guardian about the first international Marathon of Afghanistan, Martin decided to run in same event in 2016. Before the race, he met a Free to Run Ambassador named Kubra. She was hesitant to run the full marathon, but they decided to race together and this is their story, in their own words.

In the summer of 2015, Free to Run created a hiking programme for refugees of war and conflict who landed in Hong Kong. The city is now the home to several thousand refugees who often live in deplorable conditions because they are not allowed to work. Their situation can lead to social isolation and desperation. Fitness activities are some of the only opportunities that refugees have to re-develop their mental and physical strength.

During this holiday season, we wanted to take a moment to thank everyone in the Free to Run community. It's been a year of great achievements by our program participants, volunteers, Ambassadors, partners, sponsors, and all of the wonderful runners who ran to support us. From the 50K Great Relay in Hong Kong to The Marathon of Afghanistan, there are countless examples of people running side-by-side to heal, to push their physical limits, to promote equality, to strengthen communities, and to provide friendship.