Stories from The Middle East
Run Blue’s journey through the Middle East began in Türkiye, where Mina ran her first marathon in Pamukkale, followed by runs in Denizli, Antalya, and Konya, where the team investigated regional sinkhole issues. We visited Lake Tuz, one of the world’s largest hypersaline lakes, before finishing the leg in Istanbul, engaging with partners, diplomats, and the media.
After crossing the halfway point in Europe, the team continued our mission in Jordan, where Mina ran at the Dead Sea, along the Yarmouk River, and through Wadi Musa and Wadi Araba. The team then traveled to Egypt, where Mina participated in COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, running three marathons and hosting a fun run to promote water awareness, in collaboration with the Egyptian government.
Büyük Menderes River Basin, Türkiye
We had the great honour of visiting the Büyük Menderes River Basin where we witnessed the power of collective action on water.
Farmers, local government and textile manufacturers are working together to protect the Büyük Menderes River from pollution and overuse by implementing water-conscious practices like regenerative agriculture, which saves water, increases production and decreases waste.
Sinkh0les in Türkiye’s Konya region
In the Konya Region, the over-extraction of groundwater is causing sinkholes to develop at an alarming rate.
The Dead Sea, Jordan
The Dead Sea is known for being 10 times saltier than the ocean. It's also known for being the lowest land-based elevation on earth. Since the 1960s, the Dead Sea has lost about a third of its surface area and the lake level is dropping 4 feet yearly due to Climate Change. Communities and farmers in the area rely on it for their sustainability, but the Dead Sea is drying up and time is running out. No more soft language the time for action is now.