Videos of women running a 10-kilometre road race in Tehran without headscarves have gone viral, drawing widespread attention in Iran, where the hijab remains compulsory under law.
Videos of women running a 10-kilometre road race in Tehran without headscarves have gone viral, drawing widespread attention in Iran, where the hijab remains compulsory under law. Several women were seen competing with their hair uncovered during Friday’s Tehran 10K at Velayat Park. Organisers held separate races for men and women, with participants in the women’s event completing two laps of the 10-kilometre course.
The scenes stood out because women appearing in public without a hijab remains prohibited under Iranian law, even as uncovered hair has become increasingly visible in parts of the country in recent years.
The race was held on the same day as the Janfadayan-e Iran rally, a major state-backed gathering elsewhere in Tehran attended by Revolutionary Guards, Basij members and volunteers pledging to defend the country. The two events were not connected.
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Friday’s race was particularly notable given previous action against organisers of a women’s road race on Kish Island, where participants had also been seen competing without headscarves.
Hijab rules remain in force
Iranian women have increasingly appeared in public without headscarves since the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom protests, which erupted following the death of Mahsa "Jina" Amini while in morality police custody.
While uncovered hair has become increasingly common on Iranian streets and in some public spaces, compulsory hijab remains part of Iranian law. Enforcement continues in different forms, while government offices and many official establishments generally still require women to wear headscarves to enter.
Meanwhile, Parisa Arab, Iran's national record holder in the women's 5,000 metres, 10,000 metres and half marathon, won Friday's race.
Arab later shared a video showing scenes from the event and her crossing the finish line. She said the encouragement from spectators gave her energy during the most difficult parts of the race.
