Alone through Iran - 1144 miles of trust
Kristina Paltén - The first woman who ran through Iran alone
Today I'd like to write about a Swedish woman who ran more than 1000 miles through Iran, alone.
Why?
Kristina Paltén, 44, took this decision for several reasons. First of all, her love for nature but also her desire to meet other people. Then she wanted to challenge herself and her fears to the unknown, her limits and prejudices.
Kristina's dream is a world based on trust, curiosity and tolerance towards people with a different culture. Today I feel like "Muslim" has become synonymous with "terrorist" or "fundamentalist". There are around 1,5 billion Muslims around the world today, and most of them are good people.
But what can she do as a runner? Running in a Muslim country can lead to prejudices, says Kristina, both among people around her and among Iranian people. What she would like to contribute to is more openness, trust and tolerance both within me but also in the world.
What about the organisation?
Kristina planned to run about 2000 km in 60/70 days, approximately 35 kilometers a day. The journey had to start the 5th of September in Bazargan, then continue along the Caspian Sea, through the desert and in the end reach the border with Turkmenistan.
Kristina decided to run with a baby stroller which had to contain all her stuff, the tent, camp kitchen and sleeping bag.
How did it go?
It took 58 day to run 1840 km (1144 miles). She slept with 34 local families who wanted to host her. Some days the temperature was about 50 degrees while other days there was snow on the ground.
58 days later, Kristina reached her goal without injuries, except for some blisters, even though she ran totally covered with average temperature of 45 degrees.
The one thing she was surprised of was the hospitality she got. A lot of people met through her journey where proud she chose her country for this challenge. A mullah was happy to thank her because he saw the event as a friendly gesture between two nations, cultures and religions. She got a painting from a group of women who thought she represented women's strength.
Not everything ran smoothly though. She was stopped by the police several times, often several times a day. A police officer accused her of not being covered enough and wanted to arrest her. A man even accused of espionage. The Iranian embassy in Stockholm kept an eye on her movements and her web page.
Despite all Kristina consider this experience as a positive one and what she will always remember is the warm hospitality from strangers. It's about small gestures like a fruit or a bottle of water given through the journey, the smiles of the people and those who wanted to take a picture with her.
Now has this adventure become a book and a movie seen by more than 30 million people.
Now tell me, have you tried to challenge yourself and your limits?
Wanda, Sweden
This is the movie trailer (English subtitles). It's worth watching!!