Miles of Resistance

By Becca Weinberg

Photos courtesy of Free to Run

Striding confidently through the dusty mountain trails of Kabul, Afghanistan, for the first time in her life, Habiba Halimi gazed down upon her hometown. Far beyond the city’s bustling markets, the beating sun breaking through the morning cloud cover shined on her colored hijab. With sweaty palms and sore feet after a completed training session, Halimi’s smile continued to widen.

As a woman raised in Afghanistan’s discriminatory society, Halimi was previously taught to follow strict rules of self-expression. When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021, all progress of improving women’s rights within the country deteriorated. Decades of advancement in gender equity were erased, and women were stripped of their independence by a new cycle of systemic oppression. In the current society, Afghan women can only exit their houses with a male escort and cannot run or play sports outside.

After being connected with Free to Run, an initiative empowering women in conflict areas through exercise, Halimi’s newfound sense of freedom allowed her to see her potential as a runner and explore the outdoors for the first time. Halimi is now training for the Berlin Marathon in September, six years after her initial program participation, under the continued support of Free to Run. Although preparing for the marathon alone, Halimi is running for much more than just herself.

“Aren’t you ashamed of what you’re doing?” yelled Halimi’s neighbor as she went through a series of training exercises inside her home in Kabul. Her mind swarmed with fear, as even the practice of exercise inside her own residence brought disapproval. The thought of running outside had never crossed her mind due to the safety concerns of living as a woman in Afghanistan's capital. 

“There are a lot of extremists in the country, [and] other people who really see girls in a very limited way,” says Halimi. 

She wondered what relatives, friends, and local residents would think of her participation in Free to Run’s program during her very first run in 2019. Although she endured significant judgment, she never allowed it to stop her from pursuing her goals.

“I was so excited, like, every day,” says Halimi. “I had a lot of energy to wake up early in the morning and go for a run no matter what.”

Free to Run’s mission of advancing gender equity through running involves much more than just physical fitness. Participants are taught a combination of athletic performance, social development, and community service. Running is viewed as a tool to increase the involvement of young girls and women in the public life of their restrictive societies. Each week, running sessions cover the basics of running, stretching, and nutrition in a safe outdoor setting by supporting women to reclaim the space that challenges the perceptions of their roles within society. After the first few months, participants can decide to continue with the program, which involves training three to four times a week with the goal of running a half or full marathon. 

“Every day that we were running, [in] that one hour, I was not thinking of anything else,” says Halimi. “I was focused on my run, and I was trying to enjoy the fresh air and the environment I was in with the other people.”

She had a first-time experience in each session, whether it was running outdoors with new people or training to reach new distances. Halimi engaged with the unique community that Free to Run provided her with, and was able to build strong connections through each participants’ shared experiences. Through outdoor training runs, secretive gym sessions, and leadership workshops, Halimi built a new foundation for herself through resiliency and hope. 

When Halimi moved to Italy to pursue employment opportunities, she lost contact with many of the friends she’d met through Free to Run. She realized she missed the running community and wanted to do something to support the girls and women in her home country while bringing awareness to Free to Run’s programs. 

“I would like to show that women and girls can do everything that men can do,” says Halimi. “And I think I will do this marathon for the women of my country. I want to show them that we have the capacity and the potential to do whatever we want.” 

Halimi now trains virtually with a Free to Run coach who provides her daily guidance and workouts. She records each run to send to her coach for analysis, and is training for a marathon to build her newfound confidence in her athletic abilities. Halimi’s goal is to prove to the world how important empowerment through exercise can be. 

When she crosses the finish line of the 2025 Berlin Marathon in September, Halimi knows she will feel accomplished and proud to show her family her achievement. 

“I will just show them the medal of the marathon, and I will tell them that yes, I did a marathon,” says Halimi. “I am a woman, and we are probably a bit different from men physically, but we can do everything as they do.”