‘Do not judge a particular place and assume that all people are the same’: Sufiya Khan

Sufiya Khan, 33, worked a highly stressful job for an airline. She started running as a means to relax and de-stress. She took part in multiple marathons and races. In 2018, Khan broke a national record by running the Golden Triangle – 720 km – in 16 days. This record granted her the title as the “fastest female runner in India”.

What started as a hobby, quickly transformed into a mission to promote major social causes.

Inspired by the altruistic intent behind the Golden Triangle, to run for humanity and peace, Khan embarked on her own run to share a similar message.

Beginning on April 25 at Srinagar, she hopes to reach Kanyakumari in the second week of July.

With about 1,600 km still to cover, Khan encourages people to join her on her run, even if it is for a short period.

Khan has extended the 3,600-km journey to more than 4,000 km to reach a larger community.

Along the way, in each city, she has noted that approximately “150 to 200 people join [her] in the run”.

Mrunal Inamdar, who is an ambassador with Pinkathon — the largest women’s running group in the country — also ran in a nav vari sari along with Khan from Dehu Road to Katraj.

“Many people who have run with me and [followed] me through social media and local media meet with each other. We can exchange our thoughts by running and exploring the different cities of India,” she says.

Asked about the immediate impact of her run, she shares that local communities within several cities and states, have banded together to support her. By interacting so closely with Indians, Khan has observed individuals’ differences within a region.

Through her experiences, she acknowledges and confronts people’s tendency to generalise a community, stating, “Do not judge a particular place and assume that all people are the same.”