Thank you for joining us for The Secret 3K!
You’re making a difference by joining us as we run, walk and work together for equality. Check out all the fun ways you can make your race day experience even better!
Race Bib, Completion Certificate & Soundtrack
Click on the Race Bib image to download and print off so you can wear it proudly while participating. Take a photo with your race bib on and post it with #TheSecret3K
Click on the Completion Certificate image to download and print it off. Take a photo with your certificate and post it with #TheSecret3K
Click on the soundtrack image to download our custom soundtrack and hear the story that inspired The Secret 3K and how it started while you run/walk
Join us live for prizes & celebration!
Join us live on March 3 as we chat with special guests and Race Directors across the country. Ask a question or post a comment and we’ll give you a special shout out and celebrate when you’ve completed your race! There’s even prizes to be won for those who join us including The Secret Marathon book by Martin Parnell, Marathon Woman by Kathrine Switzer, Running Room Gift Card and Tickets to our final encore screening of The Secret Marathon film.
Special Guests include:
Martin Parnell, Co-Founder of The Secret 3K, Executive Producer The Secret Marathon
Kathrine Switzer, first woman to run the Boston Marathon, winner of the New York City Marathon and founder of 261 Fearless
John Stanton, founder of Running Room
James Willcox, Marathon of Afghanistan
We also encourage you to post your photo and share your experience on our Facebook Group page. Click here for the link.
Plan your route
Want to learn how you can map out a 3K run/walk? Curious about how many steps it would be to complete? Check out our helpful resource by clicking here.
Want to make your run/walk special? Check out these recommended routes from our Race Directors for routes that have significant sites connected to gender equality, Afghanistan or human rights. Click Here
Add Some Fun to Your Run/WALK
Check out our Secret 3K Spotify Playlist for songs to pump you up and celebrate gender equality. LINK HERE
Want an introduction to Afghan music while you run/walk? Check out our Spotify Playist made by Hirra Farooqi, The Secret Marathon cultural advisor. LINK HERE
Planning what you’ll eat after your run/walk? Check out these great food suggestions from Hirra to get a taste of Afghan culture. LINK HERE
Today we are joining together with others around the world to support everyone’s right to be free to run. Today we will each be wearing our Equality race bibs to show the kind of future we want - one where everyone feels safe and included in our community.
This event would not be possible without the support of The Secret Marathon film, Running Room and our charity partner Marathon of Afghanistan. We have raised over $7,000 this year which will help the Marathon to grow and to allow more Afghans to run freely! We are also proud to support Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan, 261 Fearless and Girl Guides of Canada who are working locally and globally to remove barriers to women accessing sport and education. Thank you for your generosity.
The Secret 3K is an opportunity to celebrate everyone’s right to be free to walk and run in their community. It was first inspired by the Marathon of Afghanistan. This marathon has to keep their route secret to avoid being the target of terrorist attacks in Afghanistan. Yet it is the first co-gender sporting event to ever be held in Afghanistan. Despite the challenges, women and men are participating in the Marathon to show the kind of future they want for their country. This story inspired two Canadian runners, Martin Parnell and Kate McKenzie to go over to support the Marathon of Afghanistan and to create a documentary film about their journey called The Secret Marathon.
When they returned to Canada and started sharing about their experience, many Canadians could hardly believe that there were places in the world where people were not safe or free to run outside. One of the women Martin and Kate met was named Zainab. When Zainab tried to run outside but people threw rocks at her, insulted her and she even received threats from terrorists so she had to train for the 42km Marathon by doing laps around her enclosed courtyard, a space not much larger than the average one-bedroom apartment! Despite these challenges, Zainab was able to complete the marathon to become Afghanistan’s first female marathoner to complete a marathon in Afghanistan.
Sadly, even here in Canada there are those who don’t feel safe to go for a run alone, or at night or in neighbourhoods where there may have been violence. Inspired by the example of the Marathon of Afghanistan, the Secret 3K believes that safe races can create safe places. This week we will be celebrating International Women’s Day and as a community we look forward to a day when all people around the world can feel safe to go for a run in their own community.
Before you start your run today, we encourage you to take a photo wearing your race bib to show that you are joining us in solidarity as we run, walk and work together for equality.