Tehran’s first marathon got underway today in the capital. Hundreds of runners registered for the event, including Americans and other foreigners. At least 156 women registered to take part in the event, dubbed TehRUN, but were told they would not be able to run on the street with male participants. Instead, they were instructed to run a shorter distance inside the Azadi Stadium. Photographers arriving at the stadium were told they would not be allowed in because the women were not dressed in strict accordance with Islamic values.
Women expressed frustration over the segregation. ”When they separate us, it is like they are casting us aside,” one woman told Agence France-Presse. “They are insulting us. Everywhere in the world, marathons are held on public streets — not in a closed space," she said.
Photos from Fars News Agency
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