PRESS RELEASE
[March 2015, Hong Kong] First-ever Afghan ultramarathon team to take part in the
Gobi March (China) 2015
In a country where women risk their safety simply walking alone, two women are training
for a self-supported, seven-day race across the Chinese desert.
Two Afghan women, along with Free to Run founder Stephanie Case, comprise the firstever Afghan ultramarathon team. “Team Asma’I”, named after a mountain in Kabul, will
make their first appearance at the Gobi March 2015, a 250 kilometer, 7-day selfsupported foot race which is part of the 4 Deserts Race Series.
Free to Run is a non-profit organization that uses sport and fitness to empower women
and girls in conflict-affected communities. The founder of the organization, Stephanie
Case, is herself a seasoned ultramarathon runner and 4 Deserts Race Series veteran.
The idea behind the Afghan ultramarathon team came about in 2012 when she was
working in Kabul and training for the Gobi March. “I told myself then that it was too early,
too controversial, and too impossible to even try to attempt,” she says. That changed
when Case made a trip back to Afghanistan last fall to launch Free to Run’s projects. “I
was completely inspired by the strength and determination of the women with whom I
met. Everything seems impossible until you try, so why not now?”
She carried out a competitive selection process in partnership with another non-profit
organization in Afghanistan called Skateistan. Two young women, Nelofar and Zainab
were chosen based on their positive mental attitude and their wish to inspire other
women in Afghanistan. RacingThePlanet is sponsoring the team’s training and
equipment for the Gobi March 2015.
Zainab, 25, believes that by participating in the Gobi March, she is following in her
mother’s footsteps in some way. “"When my mother was a child, she used to run in
Lahore desert of Pakistan. Her award was chocolate, but mine is being a messenger of
Afghan women!"
For most 4 Deserts competitors, getting through a 30-, 50- or 60-kilometer training run
takes a great deal of effort. For Zainab and Nelofar, simply finding a place to run and
getting there safely is a logistical Everest.
“It is unsafe for them to run outside in the city and they have only just gotten access to a
treadmill,” says Case. “The idea of women running in Afghanistan is still shocking to
many and we have to constantly keep that in mind.” Case is working closely with
Skateistan to find creative solutions to allow the women to train, but under the current
security environment, their training conditions are far from ideal.
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Getting proper equipment into the country poses another challenge, involving shipping
items by courier through trusted contacts into the capital and out to the area where the
women live, about 400 kilometres from Kabul. Training with proper shoes, clothing and
backpacks is essential to prevent injury and prepare them for the harsh climates they will
endure in the desert. The women will also be testing out some halal dehydrated meals
from Expedition Foods ahead of time to get accustomed to a race diet.
Despite the enormous obstacles, the women don’t doubt they’ll cross the finish line, and
Case doesn’t, either. Nelofar told Case she’s strong and “100 percent sure she could
simply decide to deal with the challenges.” In fact, Nelofar and Zainab have been more
focused on trying to win, not just trying to finish.
“Neither of them are runners,” says Case. “This is an incredible challenge they are taking
on. We chose them because of their mental strength, positive energy, and their desire to
act as role models for other Afghan women.”
“I hope one day all Afghan women will be able to show to the world that we don't want
war,” says Zainab. “Let’s bring peace, we can do it!"
About the Gobi March (China), 31 May – 6 June 2015 - www.4deserts.com/gobimarch
The Gobi March is one of the four races that comprise the world renowned 4 Deserts
Race Series of 250 kilometer, rough-country footraces.
This Gobi March 2015 will take place on a course in the Hami region in Xinjiang
Province of Northwest China. The stunning course crosses grasslands, alpine scenery
and sand dunes, following the mighty Tianshan Mountain Range.
Competitors must plan carefully to maintain the delicate balance between physical
exertion, nutrition and hydration in order to successfully complete the race.
About the 4 Deserts Race Series - www.4deserts.com
The 4 Deserts Race Series is the world’s leading endurance footrace series, a unique
collection of world-class races that take place over 7 days and 250 kilometers in the
largest and most forbidding deserts on the planet.
Competitors must go beyond the limits of their physical and mental endurance. Racing
self-supported in the most inhospitable climates and formidable landscapes, they must
carry all their own equipment and food, and are only provided with drinking water and a
place in a tent each night to rest.
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© Copyright 4 Deserts Race Series Limited 2015. All rights reserved.
The series, twice named by TIME magazine as one of the world’s Top 10 endurance
competitions, comprises the Atacama Crossing, Gobi March, the Sahara Race and The
Last Desert in Antarctica.
For media and press
info@4deserts.com.
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