May 24, 2009
Nairobi, Kenya
Sotokoto Safari Marathon - Nairobi, Kenya - A record breaking experience
The day for the Sotokoto Safari Marathon in Nairobi, Kenya had finally come. Prior to this, I had secured a registration followed by collection of the running kit and runners guide just the previous day. Being used to the 7am races, I was taken aback that this race was to start at 10am. “What were they thinking?,” I asked myself. They seem to have had the worst of intentions, to get us to the road during the mid-morning sun. I had imagined that I shall be finishing the race by 8.30am and even visit family by mid-day, but the day had been taken and I had to contend with the marathon as the only event of the day.
7.00am
Woken up by the phone alarm. I hurriedly dressed in my green racing T-shirt (the race number had been affixed the previous night after fitting and ensuring that it was fine), a pair of shorts with many pockets (for stuff), racing shoes (the ones that last did the 42km). I immersed the coffee maker into a cup of water, and upon its boil made a cup of cocoa. I also ensured that there was some peanut butter for the bread. (Taking cocoa and peanut before a long run had previously been recommended to our training group. There is some glycogen-inhibition property in them – that is for another day)
7.30am
Left the house for the bus stage only to find the last full matatu leaving. Getting thirty to fill the next matatu on such a Sunday morning would really take time, which I did not have. I decided to walk to the highway where chances of getting vehicles to town were high.
7.45am
Got into a matatu for town, alighting at the University way stage at 8.15am
8.15am
Walked the distance to Haile Sellasie avenue to get the next vehicle.
8.40am
Got a vehicle that was heading to Langata road and alighted at the Nairobi National Park, the venue of the race. The compound also houses the Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) headquarters and the Sotokoto marathon secretariat.
9.00am
We gather at the main entrance of the national park. The crowd of runners is getting bigger. We still have a 2.5km journey to the starting point. Despite this, the KWS rangers have prevented the runners from getting past the Animal Orphanage, which is just 50m from the main gate. They say that the ‘route is dangerous’ and they can not guarantee our safety if we go alone. They blame lions, leopards and buffaloes for the danger. We are informed that there are twelve buses, already in the park, that are expected at the gate to get us to the starting point.
9.45am
The buses start arriving at main gate to pick us for the starting point. At the same time the Vice President arrives but stays behind the convoy of buses that now head to the starting point, deep into the wild.
9.55am
We alight at the starting point. The crowd is big. All are in green. Soon the VP arrives and is ready to flag of the run. The runners are told to await the official start time and horn. There is pushing and jostling. Runners overrun the tape that had been places at the starting point. A balloon bursts – and the front runners sprint off, only to be recalled. The race is not yet started. Two other ‘pop’ sounds set the runners off, only for them to be recalled again.
“Tafadhalini msikimbie baluni ikivunjika,” and Official urges
(Please do not run when a balloon ‘breaks’).
“Sasa songeni nyuma ndio VP anzishe mbio,” an official urges the runners.
(Please move back a little to enable the VP flag off the run).
There is little reaction to this statement.
A minute or two of pleas does not yield any movement. The front runners are not relinquishing their vantage position, nor is there any will to push them back. The official appeals to coaches to speak to their team members, but all are set to go and nobody is moving back an inch. Am firmly set behind the front runners.
10.00am
A horn sounds, confetti blows in the air and the run starts. The first group sprints never to be seen again. I reset my pedometer to 00000 and start the stopwatch. I maintain my mid-group position. We move as a group as we head to the KWS main gate on the route that had previously been termed ‘dangerous’. By the gate, some 2.5km from start point, the group has thinned out and every one is running on their own. For this race, I had confided on a colleague that I intended to break the 1.43 that I did in the last 21km run in 2007, with my wish being to do a 1.35. I knew for sure that doing 1.35 was going to be a tall order, but beating the 1.43 was possible. To achieve this, I had to be generally fast throughout the run. So I was generally fast and kept passing other runners as we went along. I was feeling great, with no leg pains even as we hit the 5km mark.
10.22am
I cross the 5km mark. The stopwatch shows 22.30.00. That is generally fast. Usually I should be here at 25.00.00, but since am feeling great, let me continue going. We pass by the first water station at this mark. We are offered 300ml bottles labeled H2O. I grab a bottle and take small sips as I go along. We are now passing next to Wilson airport. A small plane can be observed on the runway heading for a take off. On the same side of the road, men are digging and burying a telecom cable. Our run interrupts their work as they marvel at the colour and the run.
We now face a downward stretch all the way to Mbagathi roundabout, then a short hill to Nairobi West roundabout. At the West roundabout, we meet the leading runner heading towards the finish line! At this roundabout we get the next water point and sponge station. While there is water, sponges are lacking since they are all used and thrown on the road in the next 100m from that point. I grab another H2O bottle. Just before I get to the junction, a fellow runner tells me that he has a stitch. I understand his plight. I urge him to try to keep going at a slower pace, even as I pass him. Later I turn the Nyayo stadium-Lusaka road junction and head towards Mombasa road.
10.44am
I reach the 10.5km mark, just a few meters from the turning point. My stopwatch shows 00.44.30. This is surely fast. I should be here on 52minutes, but am having a good run and nothing shall stop me now. After the turning point it is back to the same route upto the finish line. We get a working sponge station just after the turning point and I get a sponge, which I use to wipe my head and face before throwing it away on the side of the road. In a few moments am back to the Nyayo stadium-Lusaka road junction heading back to Nairobi West roundabout. At the West roundabout I take another bottle of H2O even as we hear the officials call out our race numbers and manually write them on paper. I pass by as two or three of them struggle to read my chest before shouting “1182”, while another one jots the same. We now face a slight down-slope to Mbagathi roundabout. A runner passes me by so fast that I wonder if he has been running the distance.
At Mbagathi roundabout we are faced with one steep 100m hill to the Barnado childrens home. I pass the runner who had passed me on the down slope. We get a pace setter on this stretch who urges us on as we head towards the Wilson airport. This pace setter keeps pushing groups of runners to do their best, then drops back to collect another group. I am thankful for his pushing which has enables me improve my pace on the hilly stretches. Just next to the Wilson airport I see a lady runner collapsed on the side road with a group of officials tending to her. I know the feeling and am happy for her that there is immediate help. Ahead of me an ambulance with lights flashing heads to the scene.
We face the last hill between Uhuru gardens and the KWS gate. The pace setter urges us on, and this works since I survive the hill with little effort.
11.22am
I enter the KWS gates. The run has virtually ended. However, I still have to contend with the last 2.5km. This is a general down hill stretch. I keep going even as the pacesetter urges a runner behind me to keep going. He gives up on him and joins me on my now increased pace. He overtakes me at some point so that he can encourage the runner in front to keep going. In a few moments am making a left turn to the finishing line (which is different from the starting point which was straight ahead on a right turn). I learn that the finishing point is the world famous ivory burning site.
11.32am
I cross the finish line. I stop my stopwatch as it reads 1:32:55. That is a record! Shaving 10minutes from my previous such run!! I am given a paper written ‘Sotokoto marathon – Position 333’ as we queue at the recording tables for handing in the slips and record our names on the tally sheets. I have finished the race and am not that tired. In fact am walking around to see other runners, the dignitaries and the ongoing activities.
12.00noon
At mid-day, the VP makes a speech, followed by the Minister for Livestock with the Director of KWS officiating. The VP is then asked to give the prizes to the winners. US$15,000 to position 1 (KShs.1.2M), US$8,000 to position 2 (KShs.0.6M) and US$6,000 to position 3 (KShs.0.5M). The bounty is awarded to both men and women winning runners. I learn that the winner in the men category clocked 1:02:29, while the winning lady clocked 1:11:11.
Our very own Samuel Wanjiru then takes the mike to encourage runners to keep at it since ‘we can do it’. He finishes his remarks by changing language to utter the following “このイベントを後援することに対して、ありがとうございます日本。 私はあなたにケニア人が良い走者を持っている、そして我々が決してあなたをがっかりさせることができないことを保証します。 あなたが毎年このイベントを後援し続けることを希望してください。” We learn that he had said, “Thank you Japan for sponsoring this event. I assure you that Kenya has good runners and we can never let you down. I hope that you continue sponsoring this event every year.”
Later I have an opportunity to stand next to this Olympic marathon winner and London marathon champion. This young millionaire is so small and simple!
1.00pm
I get into a KWS bus for the 2.5km ride to the main gate.
This was a good run, with a personal record time – and nothing to show for it (no certificate, no medal)
WWB, Nairobi, May 24, 2009
