Sponsors

Caitlin Hurley www.bostonglobe.com

ERBIL, Iraqi Kurdistan — What does one wear to run a marathon in a Muslim country? Since my children and I had moved here two months before to join my husband on a work assignment in this booming region, I had yet to even bare my knees while running. But 26.2 miles in 80-plus-degree temperatures seemed to warrant skimpy apparel no matter what local custom dictated. Read more

Beatrice Dupont France

It's safer to run in Kurdistan of Irak than attending to a concert in Paris.

Olga O'Hara Russia

The Erbil Marathon is a great event and I am very happy to be a part of it. It is a great lesson in self-sufficiency and preparation. Running around 60 Meter Road four times is not as easy as it sounds, but the thrill of finishing in Sami Abdulrahman Park makes it all worth the effort. Happy Running!

Stefan Samuelsson Sweden

Running four laps around Erbil in the blistering sun turned out to be a great idea! There were plenty of sight to distract you such as the Citadel and Jalil Khayat Mosque. Not to mention all the traffic and every day life going on all around the route. Everywhere people were cheering on you and all the local runners wanted to talk to you. This might be the most intense and beautiful marathon ever!