The racing competition titled ‘Women Power Run’ held on Sunday in Karachi’s upscale Defence Housing Authority (DHA) to encourage the women’s participation in the sports activities.
Hosted by the local racing group, Born2Run Pakistan, the event was one of the largest women-only race in the metropolitan and a total of 53 women belonging to all walks of life and ages took part in the event.
The founder of the group Sohail Sardar said: “This run is dedicated to the women of Pakistan and is organised with a view to spreading positivity. We are thrilled to be recognising the accomplished women of this country who are making a difference by being here today.”
He emphasised the need for more healthy activities for the women. “Born2Run is not for profit [making] and we have borne the entire cost of this event. We only do it because we are passionate about running. The government and corporations should come forward and support healthy initiatives such as these,” Sohail demanded.
The run up to the event was marked by shout outs from celebrities such as actor/director Zeba Bakhtiyar and British-Pakistani TV journalist George Fulton.
Bakhtiyar offered her support to the runners saying that she “admired their courage”.
Fulton said, "It's [Women Power Run] a fantastic initiative which can only go from strength to strength as more women reclaim the streets and have a space that allows them to run and exercise.’
Haani Mazari, Shiza Saqib, Nida and Isma Khan who participated in the event secured winning positions respectively.
The top three runners received gold medals while the rest received medals for participation.
Speaking after the event Mazari, who dedicated her win to her grandfather, said: “I feel really happy. I have not always been a good runner. In school I couldn’t complete a mile without stopping. I started running during lockdown and it feels unreal to be first.”
Launched in 2017 by Sohail Sardar, the non-profit organisation has been helping people become fit and lead healthier lives.
Its mission is to help and inspire people through running.
Born2Run Pakistan has been offering free running training in Karachi parks and has hosted 12 running events till date.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ