Afghanistan's female marathon runner defies danger to go the distance

The sole Afghan woman who took part in the Bamiyan race hopes others follow in her footsteps despite expectations that girls forgo sport and stay indoors

Even if chasing her athletic ambitions were only a matter of physical ability, odds would already be stacked against Zainab*. For two months leading up to Afghanistan’s first official marathon in Bamiyan this month, her fitness regime was limited to jogging laps in her family’s small backyard because running outside was unsafe.

A marathon is exhausting for most practitioners, but few have to muster the additional willpower to endure the kind of abuse Zainab, 25, faces each time she laces her trainers to venture outdoors.

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from Health & wellbeing | The Guardian http://ift.tt/1kQ3XpV
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