"There are places in the world where women cannot run. We run for them." The Secret 3K run/walk event will take place in Guelph for the first time on International Women's Day, March 8th, 2023 at 6.30pm. Secret 3K is supported by many Rotary Clubs across North America. Email Ashley to volunteer. Register to participate in the Guelph event HERE.
The Secret 3K run/walk event is to raise funds for women and girls in sport, and to highlight safety and equity. The Guelph event, endorsed by Rotary, will take place on the trail behind the covered bridge, at 85 York Road.
The event is very well described in this Guelph Today story, here.
Secret 3K run/walk coming to Guelph
Also in this Guelph Mercury Tribune story, here.
'I don’t want to run scared': Upcoming Guelph run draws attention to issues women runners face
BACKGROUND
The Secret 3K event was inspired by "The Secret Marathon" in 2015 in Afghanistan, a country where women and girls are not permitted to run or walk alone in public. With some outside help, the first Secret Marathon was arranged in a remote area of Afghanistan, and both men and women participated! More Secret Marathons have taken place since then.
A wonderful documentary was made about this first Secret Marathon and can be viewed for free here. It is well worth watching.
A ROTARY CONNECTION
One of the key promoters of this Afghanistan event was Martin Parnell, a Rotarian from Cochrane, Alberta (and District Governor for the Calgary area in 2021-2022). A keen marathoner, he is featured in the above documentary. Rotary supports the UN and Afghan women's rights activists in calling for women to have access to gyms and parks. All people should be free to move regardless of gender.
When Rotary Clubs in North America heard about The Secret Marathon, many felt motivated to raise funds to help the Afghani women and girls continue with their sporting and recreational activities. It soon became clear that safety for women and girls was an issue close to home as well, with many LOCAL examples of discrimination and assaults on women and girls in sports or travelling alone.
That's when the Secret 3K event was dreamt up, as a public run/walk to take place in North American towns and cities around the time of International Women's Day each year. The goal is to empower women and girls through sport, and to raise funds for organizations that support sport safety and equity, both locally and around the world. A governing body for Secret 3K was established to help coordinate, and Rotary is proud to have its logo included on the Secret 3K website. https://www.secret3k.com/
Go HERE to register or donate. Select the Guelph event.
