~ Adventures in Asia ~

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A long run in the Hindu Kush: What it’s like to run a marathon in remote Afghanistan.
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A long run in the Hindu Kush: What it’s like to run a marathon in remote Afghanistan.

In 2017, I visited Afghanistan to meet athletes redefining their future through adventure sports. These inspiring people - skiers, mountain bikers, marathon runners and parkour gymnasts, are pushing boundaries in the direst of circumstance, and I wanted to help them document the change going on in the country.

Daily security issues plague the capital Kabul and it’s assessed that the Taliban affects almost half the country.

But there are oases of relative safety in this place. Following the athletes’ example; I sought my own challenge and decided to run a marathon in a safe region that was not plagued by conflict.

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A short hike in the Hindu Kush: scaling mountains in Kabul, Afghanistan.
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A short hike in the Hindu Kush: scaling mountains in Kabul, Afghanistan.

We meet in a quiet corner of Kabul, a neighbourhood that’s largely untouched by the security issues. I know the city moderately well and so this eases my apprehension well. Although I do understand that If I’ve misjudged anything about my plan to get alternative perspectives of the beautiful mountains, the consequences could be severe.

It’s winter and the whole city is covered in a blanket of snow, meaning that movement is much slower, but the city does appear quieter than when I was last here.

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