Kish Island

Kish Marathon: Running Along Iran’s Cultural Red Lines

sportLocal Iranian sources reported on Friday morning that the Kish Marathon had been held along the island’s coastal route—a race with several thousand participants intended to serve as a showcase for tourism and public recreation. Yet within hours, images circulating online of some female runners’ attire transformed the event from a sports competition into a cultural and political controversy, quickly drawing in the judiciary, the government, and members of parliament.