As many as 53 participants gathered early on Sunday morning in the Defence Housing Authority for a 3.8 kilometre 'Women's Power Run' hosted by a local running group, Born2Run-Pakistan. The participants ranged from 13-year-olds to women over the age of 50 from different walks of life in the port city.
According to the founder of the running group, Sohail Sardar, the run was dedicated to the women of the country and was organised with the aim to spread positivity. "We are thrilled to be recognising accomplished women of this country who are making a difference by being here."
Sardar urged participants to support more such activities. Born2Run is a not-for-profit organisation, he said. "We only do it because we are passionate about running. The government and corporations should come forward and support healthy initiatives such as these."
The winners of the run were Haani Mazari, Shiza Saqib, Nida and Isma Khan, in that order. Mazari spoke about how she wasn't always a good runner but began running during the coronavirus-prompted lockdown. "It feels unreal to be first," she said, adding that her grandfather passed away a day prior and she ran for him on Sunday.
Celebrities such as Zeba Bakhtiyar and British-Pakistani journalist George Fulton cheered on the participants and the winners received prizes including apparel and beauty items.
Supporting the event, Fulton said that such initiatives can only improve with more women reclaiming the streets and being enabled to run and exercise.
Born2Run was launched in 2017 by Sardar with the mission to inspire people to run. The group offers free running training in the city's parks and has hosted 12 running events till date.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 7th, 2020.
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