Islamabad, May 19, 2024.
Early in the morning today, inDrive and Margalla Trail Runners (MTR) successfully hosted the YourPace Kid’s Trail Pakistan Race Event, a pioneering initiative aimed at promoting a running culture among kids in Pakistan. The project’s race, held at Fatima Jinnah F-9 Park in Islamabad, saw an impressive turnout of around 400 enthusiastic young runners aged 7-14, from diverse backgrounds along with their teachers and supporters.
YourPace by inDrive is a non-profit project dedicated to supporting running initiatives to bring together people from diverse backgrounds, helping create a discrimination-free environment for everyone. YourPace, a global initiative successfully conducted in six countries including Egypt, Morocco, Peru, Nepal, Chile, and Brazil, was held for the first time in Pakistan.
Over the past eight weeks, experienced athletes conducted training sessions at selected schools, including Bebud School (Said Pur, Islamabad), Maryam Foundation School (Bani Gala, Islamabad), Ghosha-e-Mashaal (Margalla Town, Islamabad), and The Qalam School (Rawalpindi). The program focused on introducing students to running basics and encouraging active participation, with a special emphasis on gender equality and unity among participants.
The race featured distances of 1km, 3km, and 5km, allowing children to showcase their running abilities in a supportive and inclusive environment. The event was a resounding success, with beaming faces and a tangible sense of accomplishment among the young participants.
“In today’s world, initiatives like YourPace are essential in guiding young kids towards a healthy lifestyle to improve their physical fitness and enhance mental growth.” stated by Head of sports at Your Pace, Anna Fedorchuk while she shared her experience with the media; “This is my first visit to Pakistan, and I am deeply impressed by the people I’ve met. I thank Margalla Trail Runners for their energy in organizing training programs and runs for children from five Islamabad schools, and the school administrations for their support. The children’s happy faces speak volumes about the project’s impact. They received well-deserved medals, the gratitude expressed confirms our program’s success. Special thanks to inDrive for making this possible. We look forward to continuing our work here and say see you soon, not goodbye!”
Furthermore, Javed Ali, founder of MTR, shared details about the YourPace Kid’s Trail Pakistan project that it offers an eight-week training program for children from various schools in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Conducted by experienced athletes at selected schools, F-9 Park, and Sports Complex, the program introduces students to running basics and encourages active participation. Javed explained that this program is designed to have equal representation of both male and female students, promoting gender equality and unity among participants.
The YourPace Kid’s Trail Pakistan project has set a remarkable precedent, demonstrating the power of collaborative efforts in nurturing a healthy and inclusive community. Promoting such initiatives on a broader scale is crucial for nurturing a healthy community and paving the way for a brighter future for Pakistan.
Margalla Trail Runners (MTR) was the organizing club, who worked in collaboration with inDrive to conduct Yourpace project is a trail running club based in Islamabad and the first of its kind in Pakistan. MTR is a community-based trail running club run voluntarily by a few running enthusiasts. MTR Club members regularly run and organize weekly events on the different trails of Margalla Hills, Galiyat Trails, and low to high-altitude terrain of Pakistan mountains.
