Mazar-e-Sharif will Say No to Drugs by hosting Run Race 2007.

In the beautiful capital city of Balkh province, Mazar-e-Sharif, runners will gather on June 1st to become a part of the call to Say No to Drugs and will join the trend which began in Kandahar in April and then reached Jalalabad in May. This catalyst for change is the vision of Ehsan Bayat, Chairman of the Bayat Foundation.

The goal is to bring together the entire nation around the single idea of Saying NO to Drugs. The Run Race in Mazar-e-Sharif is a part of this dream, where people will run to Say No to Drugs and show the world that even during difficult times, the Afghan people can gather and show their spirit of resilience and willpower – a show of true Afghan spirit!

The Mazar-e-Sharif Race will be held on the 1st of June. The registration started on 17th May and has received a tremendous response. Over 500 people are registered from Mazar-e-Sharif and nearby towns. They are ready and excited to compete in the 10 kilometer race, which starts at the Airport and finishes in Seena stadium.

The Bayat Foundation and Afghan Wireless have announced the cash prizes as well. The first prize for this race will be 50,000 Afghanis, second prize will be 25,000 Afghanis and third prize will be 12,500 Afghanis.

These races play an important role in uniting the people and are welcome regional events.  It is not just about the fastest runners, but the joy of participation among all of the runners and spectators.  It is a celebration of the city.

Similar races are being organized in other regions and the regional winners will then participate in the final race, which will be held in Kabul sometime in August/September. This will be the final test of strength, a race of champions from all over Afghanistan.