My friend Charly and I have been training for months to enable us (we hope) to run around 95 miles from Bristol to Reading along the Kennet & Avon tow path. This will be achieved over three days, 16-19th September 2024.

Amanda says "I love running! The fact that I can pull on my running gear & hit the road whenever I fancy is part of it's charm for me. This experience, and the feeling of freedom associated with running are not available to everyone"...

Free to Run supports young women and girls in areas of conflict to help them build leadership skills and improve their physical, emotional, and social wellbeing, through running. We provide the tools to help them become leaders who exercise self-determination, challenge negative norms, and boldly reclaim public spaces. Free to Run members are community leaders, advocates, and role models in their societies, bringing people together across cultural, ethnic, and religious lines. They change views about the roles that women can, and should, play in society.

Sports opportunities are extremely limited or even non-existent in the regions we operate in. These restrictions are often even worse for women and girls in areas of conflict. We address this gap by focusing on outdoor sports, supporting girls to step outdoors and reclaim public space to challenge the perception of the roles they can and should play in society. We take participants outside of their usual environments and create opportunities for them to experience the outdoors. Learn to Run sessions are delivered weekly for the first 3-5 months of Free to Run’s program, covering light running, stretching, nutrition and hydration training in safe spaces. Those who choose to continue with Free to Run move into a ‘Core Team’, training with coaches 3-4 times a week for up to six months, with the goal of running up to a half or a full marathon.

*Last two paragraphs are from Free To Run's website.