A new annual race is coming to Guelph this March to promote safe running spaces for women.
The Secret 3K is an international event held the week of International Women’s Day every year since 2016.
The race was inspired by Zainab, the first Afghan woman to complete a marathon in Afghanistan.
When she ran in public, insults, threats and rocks would be hurled at her for running outside. To stay safe, she trained for the Marathon of Afghanistan in an enclosed courtyard, about the size of a one-bedroom apartment, repeatedly running loops in the small space.
Since the marathon was the first time both men and women would run together in Afghanistan, to keep everyone safe, the starting location, date and route was kept secret..
Of the 70 participants, three were women – Zainab and her two friends – one of whom was from Canada.
That was in 2015. By 2020, the race had grown to 800 participants, 40 per cent of them being women. There was even a film made about it in 2016, produced by Canadians Kate McKenzie and Martin Parnell.
When the filmmakers returned to Canada, they realized the issue wasn’t unique to Afghanistan: many Canadians don’t feel safe running alone or at night either.
Since the marathon that inspired them was kept secret, they decided to call it the Secret 3K, “to help remind us that there are people everyday who face great risks doing something as simple as running or walking,” the website states.
After participating in the online event last year, race director Ashley Burr wondered if she could bring it to Guelph.
Burr has been running for more than 20 years, but still finds herself feeling unsafe running alone or in the dark from time to time.
“There have definitely been times where I haven't been safe as a female runner. There have been times when people yell things at me from cars. I’ve been blocked on trails by men.”
When she was younger, she said she was attacked on one of the trails along the river while running.
“So I've done things like avoiding certain trails; I don't run with earbuds, I like to hear what's going on around me. And I try to make eye contact when I pass people. So if I've got a weird vibe, I might change direction and go another way.”
“But I also feel like the onus is not on me to not be attacked,” she said.
Burr coaches a women’s running group, and a number of the women involved have told her if she didn’t run the group, “they just wouldn’t run in the winter because the days are so short. By the time they’re out of work, it’s dark and they don’t feel safe running alone.”
“So I think it's important to me, and it's important for the community to know that everybody is allowed to run here and feel safe and feel welcomed,” she said.
This is the first time the event will be coming to Guelph; the next closest race is in Kingston, so Burr said people might even come out from nearby municipalities.
The Secret 3K might have been inspired by one woman’s determination to run, but the run is for everybody of every age and gender – from children to grandma and grandpa, she said.
“We need people who identify as (women or) any other gender because we want safe spaces for everybody, and it takes everybody to be on board with that.”
This is why the race is three kilometres instead of the usual five, she said, because it’s a “reachable” distance for those who want to walk or give running a try.
Former Olympic wrestler Tara Hedican of Guelph is a guest speaker before the run kicks off at 6:30 p.m. on March 8.
Registration costs $15 per participant; schools get a discounted rate.
Funds raised from the registration fee go to three charities: Canadian Women for Women of Afghanistan, which helps with virtual and physical education, Afghan Sports Trust and 261 Fearless.
If you have questions or would like to volunteer or donate a door prize, contact Burr at [email protected], or on Instagram @secret3kguelph.
The starting location and route will be made available to participants once registered.
The Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in the summer of 2021, meaning those who supported the marathon, and therefore gender equality, were in immediate danger.
“Now more than ever, we must show our support for those who have risked so much for a dream of a world where everyone can run free,” the website states. “The future of the Marathon of Afghanistan remains unknown. It is our hope that by supporting this brave community we can help them to rebuild.”
