My Marathon of Afghanistan fundraising campaign has shifted to support the safety and security of Free to Run's Afghan staff and their families who have made the incredible work of Free to Run possible over the last 7 years. Free to Run staff around the world are working 24/7 to to do everything they can to evacuate their staff still in Afghanistan and support their resettlement in a new home. Every dollar counts as time is quickly running out, please donate what you can! 

***UPDATE*** As you know, I was set to visit Afghanistan in just 2 months to run the Marathon of Afghanistan alongside many Afghan girls and women representing the incredible organization Free to Run. As of last week, the race has been cancelled amid the developments in the country. While I am disappointed to miss out on what would surely have been an amazing experience, I can't even begin to imagine the feelings and fear that the girls and women in the country are experiencing right now as they are being forced to live under Taliban rule.

Although the Taliban have claimed that they will respect the rights of women, particularly to pursue an education and to work, their actions show otherwise. There are reports that Taliban commanders have demanded that communities turn over unmarried girls over 15 and widows under 45 to become “wives” for their fighters throughout the country and have been sending women home from their universities and jobs.

Free to Run's President and Founder has written a brief update on the situation and the organizations immediate goals that you can read here. Free to Run's immediate focus is on supporting the safety and security of their team in Afghanistan. The Founder said that she "wants to assure you that we are not losing our fighting spirit, nor the boldness of our approach in supporting the women and girls of Afghanistan." They are continuing to pay their staff's salaries and support them in any way they possibly can remotely.

Please consider donating to Free to Run through this page if you are able, anything no matter how small will help! At the very least, I would encourage you to take a moment to reflect on how fortunate we all are to enjoy the freedoms that we often take for granted. And thank you SO MUCH to those who have already contributed!

On a more positive note, I have been planning a backup race in case this situation became reality. I will now be running the Salomon Cappadocia Ultra Trail's medium distance race in Cappadocia, Turkey in late October and will be representing Free to Run there as well as at the Andros 24k Trail Race in September and hopefully the Athens Marathon in November. In light of the Marathon of Afghanistan being cancelled and the challenges that girls and women in Afghanistan are facing, I decided to up the challenge for myself and instead of a marathon, I will be running the 63km, or 39mi, ultramarathon in Cappadocia!

**Read the original post below to learn more about Free to Run, the Marathon of Afghanistan, and my original plan!**

Later this year I will travel to Bamian Province in Afghanistan to run the Marathon of Afghanistan!* This opportunity is part of my commitment to raise $5,000 for the incredible non-profit organization Free to Run which works in Afghanistan and Iraq to bring running programs and leadership training to women and girls in the region. I would greatly appreciate any donation you can make through this page where all donations go directly to Free to Run to support their work! For more about my journey, the Marathon of Afghanistan, and Free to Run please read below and check out their website and @freetorunngo on Instagram.

The Marathon of Afghanistan symbolizes the local and international efforts in the region to promote sports for everyone. The marathon will take place in the Bamian Province, amidst the mountains of the Hindu Kush in central Afghanistan. This astonishingly beautiful valley, a UNESCO world heritage site, is recognized as one of the safest provinces in the country. Leading up to the race, I will be training in Washington, D.C. for about the next 2 months but will be going to Greece (yes, with Nala!) for three months before and after the marathon while finishing my Master’s in International Relations and Conflict Resolution online. While in Greece I also plan to run the 24k Andros Trail Race before Afghanistan and the Athens Marathon after.

Sports, especially soccer and running, have been a defining aspect of who I am for most of my life. Many of my best friends and connections have come from participating in sports and other friendships have only been strengthened through participating in sports together. My many wonderful soccer coaches I played for growing up were also great role models and taught me many important life lessons along the way without which I would be a very different person today. I have been extremely fortunate to have had the opportunities that I did growing up to be able to go outside and play soccer or go for a run essentially any time and any place I wanted. Unfortunately for women and girls in Afghanistan, these opportunities are far from realistic. 

Decades of conflict and instability in Afghanistan have resulted in extreme social isolation for women and girls as well as harassment, constrained mobility, and unequal access to education. Afghanistan frequently ranks amongst the lowest in terms of educational opportunities, life expectancy, health, and access to justice and Afghan women and girls in particular face inequitable access to formal education and they lack opportunities to develop the skills needed to lead productive and fulfilling lives.

Free to Run began in 2014 with hiking activities for a small group of young women in the Central Highlands Region and has since built up increased support for Afghan women and girls in adventure sports and leadership roles. Today, they operate in four provinces and support over 7000 ethnically diverse women and girls, ages 15-25, who commit to a comprehensive program of athletics, civic engagement, and leadership training. Free to Run supported the first woman to complete a marathon in the country and the first female Afghan teams to compete in international ultramarathons. Many Free to Run participants will also be running in the Marathon of Afghanistan alongside me later this year! Free to Run has transformed these sporting experiences, also including hiking, kayaking, ice skating, and more, into opportunities to participate and lead in local communities through their Life Skills through Sport (LSS) curriculum. 

I would tremendously appreciate any and all support that you can give to help me reach my goal of raising $5,000 for this incredible organization through my page! Again, all donations made through this page will go directly to Free to Run to support their work in Afghanistan and Iraq. And for more information on Free to Run please check out freetorun.org and @freetorunngo on Instagram for many more updates!

*As you may know, the security situation in Afghanistan is quickly changing as the United States withdraws its military in the coming months and there is a possibility that my trip to Afghanistan and the entire race are cancelled. Nonetheless all donations will still go directly to Free to Run and their work will only be that much more important as restrictions on women and girls tighten even more under the Taliban.