Refugee runner prepares for Hackney Half
Running has helped refugee Rawand Gurun overcome the trauma he fled from Iraq and the peril he faced during the journey here.
Now the 28-year-old Kurdish nurse is preparing for his latest challenge – he’s taking on the Hackney Half Marathon to raise vital funds for Hackney Foodbank.
He said: “I struggled with my mental health after all I went through in Iraq. I had therapy but I didn’t know how I would cope. I was a young man and I’d left my family behind and come to a country where I’d no idea what was going on.
“Running has been so good for me. I’ve met so many nice people. I started with Park Runs. It’s like therapy – I’d talk to myself as I ran. I was running towards something (my hopes for the future) and running from something (the trauma in my past).”
Rawand has devoted a considerable amount of time to volunteering in the UK – helping out in a homeless shelter and becoming an ambassador for the Refugee Running Club.
He added: “I realized that although I didn’t have much, I had a roof and a place to stay – in many ways I was lucky. We all have something to share – a small thing can change someone’s life so that’s the way I should be – I can offer something and help.”
Through the running club, Rawand became friends with Gail Davison, a volunteer at Hackney Foodbank and, when he heard about the charity’s work, he decided to join their team in the Hackney Half on May 17th 2026.
He added: “I’ve heard so many things about the food bank and I’m really excited to be running and raising funds for them!”
When Rawand first arrived in the UK in 2020, we were in the grip of a national lockdown. Isolated in a hostel, he found it difficult to get to know people and his mental health suffered. In 2022 he became a member of the Refugee Run Club. The Coopah Running app provided his kit and the friendships he’s made through both forums have been transformative.
He added: “In so many ways running has helped me overcome things. Socially, it was hard when I arrived because I couldn’t talk the language, financially it was difficult because I couldn’t afford the cost of most sport, but running is such a friendly sport and it’s free!”