Ndakaini Marathon 2016 – the 21km run that turned out to be 26k
Early
This is surely the earliest that I have woken up this year. I was up at 3.30am on this Saturday, September 10, 2016. Come to think about it, I was generally sober from 1.00am, having made the mistake to tuning on to radio and listening while pretending to sleep. The topic of discussion was unbelievable on live radio, but… the airwaves are liberal and you can tune in or get out if you are offended. Who in their right mind discusses ‘jomvu miritini’ (Two towns at the coast, I assume) and ‘aina tofauti ya duka la asali’ (different types of honey shops) on open air!? Is it that my Kiswahili is so rotten that I do not understand what this is all about?
“Surely, we have lost it,” I said to myself as I got out of bed to mix the cup of cocoa, which was strategically positioned besides the bed the previous night – this is called advance preparation.
I was dressed and ready to leave at 0345 hours, my runner number 723 having been affixed on the Tshirt same day when I got it on Wednesday from the IMG offices at International House 4th floor. I managed to wake up the watchie, who was sleeping on the stairway of the residential block, to allow him open the gate for me. He had a puzzled look on his face, partly dazzled by being woken up ‘at midnight’. I know that he thought it was midnight. I even got scared, as he locked out of the compound and wondered what would happen if I was to be forced to bolt back. However, such bad thoughts do not occupy the mind of a marathoner.
Liars
I was at the main Nairobi-Nakuru highway by 3.50am. I could only see the night buses from Western side of Kenya zooming past, momentarily lighting up the otherwise dark night and dark tarmac. No matatu was beckoning for passengers, as they usually do at the right time.
“Why did I get out of bed early,” I clicked.
I attempted to get into a country bus that had dropped some passengers at the highway stage, only for the makanga to cheat me that they are not going to town, but to Kawangware. There was no need to lie. I was ready to pay! It was not for free!!. I watched in total disgust as the bus went straight ahead toward Kangemi (and town) – BAD KENYAN that lying makanga!!!
Nonetheless, I was lucky to get a matatu at 4.05am. It packed us four per seat, instead of three. Anyway, it was the only one on the route all the way to Westlands. Seated in front of me were two ladies, evidently drank, calling the conductor like every second, speaking loudly over nonsensical issues, laughing at the slightest of no joke.
“Hapa ni Westlands?,” they asked, almost in unison, as the matatu stopped at Kangemi.
“Poeni waresh,” the conductor reassured them, “Tukifika Westy nitawashtua. Musiwe na wass.”
The matatu set off from Kangemi to a stop 15 seconds later at the Kangemi flyover to pick some other passenger.
“Si tumefika Westlands?,” one of them asked.
We had hardly moved for crying out loud!
Ten such questions later, the duo was dropped at Westy, after which peace prevailed in the vehicle.
It dropped me at GPO around 4.20am.
Wabera
I walked a stretch of Kenyatta avenue and then turned at Wabera street towards the High Court, then to Re plaza, the pickup point. I was to be ready to catch the 5.00am bus arranged by the organizers of the run – not for free. I had paid 700/= together with the 800/= for registering for this run.
“Mwathani!,” I found myself shouting. Subconsciously.
“What!?,” came the response from the three ladies, whom I had just overtaken on Wabera Street pavement. My exclamation was due to the skimpy way they were dressed. One had a skirt whose length ended almost at the waist. The other had something that was pretending to be a sleeveless top, my observation wat that it was more of just a bra. The third had a combination of the two. The corner of my eye caught a few other gals who seemed to have an issue with dressing, they seemed to hate clothing and preferred to have the bare minimum. Did I say they preferred ‘bare’ and if not possible, then ‘minimum’.
Last year the buses were late, forcing runners to wait for them until almost six. This morning the three buses, branded ‘Double M’, were already parked next to Re plaza when I got there around 4.30am. I was probably the third athlete to arrive. From then on, it was a matter of getting into the first bus, the 21km bus, so that we can set off at five. That was not to be, since the athletes were late forcing the first bus to leave the city at 5.44am.
Conspiracy
It took us 45 minutes to reach Thika and another 45 minutes to reach Ndakaini, specifically, Kagira Memorial Academy, which was the new parking lot for vehicles. Previously, we have been parking at the Nairobi City County water treatment plant compound, which is nearer the starting point. By ‘nearer’, I mean 2km near.
The time was now 7.20am.
I have been to Ndakaini three times before and I knew that we had been dropped much much further from the starting line unlike previous years.
I was vindicated since I had to jog for 30-minutes to get to the starting line, hardly 10-minutes before the run was scheduled to start. At any pace, I cover 5-7km in that period of time.
“Conspiracy!,” I cried out loud!
How do you force ‘some’ competitors to start with a 5-km run before the real run? That is not level. That is not right! I am as sure as the first marathon held in Marathon town Greece that I could have missed the start of the run had I not run the distance from drop off point.
Script
The run started on the now very familiar route and the run progressed as per the script. This marathon is a 10-hill run. The earlier you get that reality etched on your mind, the better for you. I now know each of them and I usually count them as I go along. Those unfamiliar with the route had a hard time, mainly due to inappropriate run strategies, such as sprinting downhill forgetting that there is an unseen hill just round the bend. However, make no mistake about it – Ndakaini marathon is the toughest in Kenya at the moment. I can dare say toughest in the world – that is my experience. I have tried to conquer it but it provides new surprises each year to tame me.
This year’s run brought in the surprise of the very hot sun just as we started the run at about 8.05am. My legs also decided to pain on the first two hills – for no reason at all, and I really had to reduce pace on these sections. However, I was back to normal, by the time I hit the 5km mark, after two water points and a sponge station, though that first slow pace kind of affected the rest of the run.
No. 8 Hill
I knew that I was yet to face the real back-breaker, which is Hill no. 8, though the other hills can easily confuse you that they are no. 8 if you are not familiar with this route. And… finally, there it was… 45 degrees uphill for 1.4km. Those are the worst 10 minutes of this whole episode. You face the uphill, you are tired after running 16km, you can hardly move uphill, the back aches, the legs ache, the shoes pinch and hurt, the hill does not end and…. the spectators look (and react) as if you are doing nothing!!
“We mzee, kimbia! Wacha kwenda pole pole! Unashindwa tu haka ka mlima” (You oldie, stop running slowly. How can such a mild hill give you trouble)
“Come try it yourself,” I am tempted to say. I resist the temptation or rather, I do not even have the energy to get any word out of my mouth.
After that hill it is a relief to face two mild uphills on your way to the finish line – these are some of the best 4kms that you can wish for in such a marathon.
And just as soon as it had started, the run came to an end at the main tarmac, just 400m from the once starting point.
I stop the timer at 1.47.01
The winner
After the finish there is nothing else to do, but come back to Nairobi. The remaining agony was just the 5km walk back to the bus and then a wait until 5pm for the trip back, as per the organizers schedule.
It was a pleasant surprise that the buses had been allowed to park at the Nairobi Water premises, which was nearer the finish point. It was equally fulfilling that the buses left Ndakaini at 1420 hours, reaching the city a few minutes past four. Subconsciously, I observed the various shopping centres and areas of interest on the route such as Mbari ya Rugu Primary School (what is name is that?), Mukarara shopping centre (can’t they think of a better name), Mabanda centre (this name may be for a reason), Gahunyu centre (am lost) finally Thika (am found). From town centre, one last matatu brought me back to my residence – with a headache. This is something, since I even did a 28km run two weeks ago but did not end up with a headache. I usually know that a run has got the better of me if I have a headache after the run. Ndakaini marathon, while commemorating its 13th edition, in my case, for the fourth time in a row, has now officially been confirmed to be yet another run that has gotten the better of me!
Barack Wamkaya Wanjawa, Nairobi Kenya, Saturday, September 10, 2016
Early
This is surely the earliest that I have woken up this year. I was up at 3.30am on this Saturday, September 10, 2016. Come to think about it, I was generally sober from 1.00am, having made the mistake to tuning on to radio and listening while pretending to sleep. The topic of discussion was unbelievable on live radio, but… the airwaves are liberal and you can tune in or get out if you are offended. Who in their right mind discusses ‘jomvu miritini’ (Two towns at the coast, I assume) and ‘aina tofauti ya duka la asali’ (different types of honey shops) on open air!? Is it that my Kiswahili is so rotten that I do not understand what this is all about?
“Surely, we have lost it,” I said to myself as I got out of bed to mix the cup of cocoa, which was strategically positioned besides the bed the previous night – this is called advance preparation.
I was dressed and ready to leave at 0345 hours, my runner number 723 having been affixed on the Tshirt same day when I got it on Wednesday from the IMG offices at International House 4th floor. I managed to wake up the watchie, who was sleeping on the stairway of the residential block, to allow him open the gate for me. He had a puzzled look on his face, partly dazzled by being woken up ‘at midnight’. I know that he thought it was midnight. I even got scared, as he locked out of the compound and wondered what would happen if I was to be forced to bolt back. However, such bad thoughts do not occupy the mind of a marathoner.
Liars
I was at the main Nairobi-Nakuru highway by 3.50am. I could only see the night buses from Western side of Kenya zooming past, momentarily lighting up the otherwise dark night and dark tarmac. No matatu was beckoning for passengers, as they usually do at the right time.
“Why did I get out of bed early,” I clicked.
I attempted to get into a country bus that had dropped some passengers at the highway stage, only for the makanga to cheat me that they are not going to town, but to Kawangware. There was no need to lie. I was ready to pay! It was not for free!!. I watched in total disgust as the bus went straight ahead toward Kangemi (and town) – BAD KENYAN that lying makanga!!!
Nonetheless, I was lucky to get a matatu at 4.05am. It packed us four per seat, instead of three. Anyway, it was the only one on the route all the way to Westlands. Seated in front of me were two ladies, evidently drank, calling the conductor like every second, speaking loudly over nonsensical issues, laughing at the slightest of no joke.
“Hapa ni Westlands?,” they asked, almost in unison, as the matatu stopped at Kangemi.
“Poeni waresh,” the conductor reassured them, “Tukifika Westy nitawashtua. Musiwe na wass.”
The matatu set off from Kangemi to a stop 15 seconds later at the Kangemi flyover to pick some other passenger.
“Si tumefika Westlands?,” one of them asked.
We had hardly moved for crying out loud!
Ten such questions later, the duo was dropped at Westy, after which peace prevailed in the vehicle.
It dropped me at GPO around 4.20am.
Wabera
I walked a stretch of Kenyatta avenue and then turned at Wabera street towards the High Court, then to Re plaza, the pickup point. I was to be ready to catch the 5.00am bus arranged by the organizers of the run – not for free. I had paid 700/= together with the 800/= for registering for this run.
“Mwathani!,” I found myself shouting. Subconsciously.
“What!?,” came the response from the three ladies, whom I had just overtaken on Wabera Street pavement. My exclamation was due to the skimpy way they were dressed. One had a skirt whose length ended almost at the waist. The other had something that was pretending to be a sleeveless top, my observation wat that it was more of just a bra. The third had a combination of the two. The corner of my eye caught a few other gals who seemed to have an issue with dressing, they seemed to hate clothing and preferred to have the bare minimum. Did I say they preferred ‘bare’ and if not possible, then ‘minimum’.
Last year the buses were late, forcing runners to wait for them until almost six. This morning the three buses, branded ‘Double M’, were already parked next to Re plaza when I got there around 4.30am. I was probably the third athlete to arrive. From then on, it was a matter of getting into the first bus, the 21km bus, so that we can set off at five. That was not to be, since the athletes were late forcing the first bus to leave the city at 5.44am.
Conspiracy
It took us 45 minutes to reach Thika and another 45 minutes to reach Ndakaini, specifically, Kagira Memorial Academy, which was the new parking lot for vehicles. Previously, we have been parking at the Nairobi City County water treatment plant compound, which is nearer the starting point. By ‘nearer’, I mean 2km near.
The time was now 7.20am.
I have been to Ndakaini three times before and I knew that we had been dropped much much further from the starting line unlike previous years.
I was vindicated since I had to jog for 30-minutes to get to the starting line, hardly 10-minutes before the run was scheduled to start. At any pace, I cover 5-7km in that period of time.
“Conspiracy!,” I cried out loud!
How do you force ‘some’ competitors to start with a 5-km run before the real run? That is not level. That is not right! I am as sure as the first marathon held in Marathon town Greece that I could have missed the start of the run had I not run the distance from drop off point.
Script
The run started on the now very familiar route and the run progressed as per the script. This marathon is a 10-hill run. The earlier you get that reality etched on your mind, the better for you. I now know each of them and I usually count them as I go along. Those unfamiliar with the route had a hard time, mainly due to inappropriate run strategies, such as sprinting downhill forgetting that there is an unseen hill just round the bend. However, make no mistake about it – Ndakaini marathon is the toughest in Kenya at the moment. I can dare say toughest in the world – that is my experience. I have tried to conquer it but it provides new surprises each year to tame me.
This year’s run brought in the surprise of the very hot sun just as we started the run at about 8.05am. My legs also decided to pain on the first two hills – for no reason at all, and I really had to reduce pace on these sections. However, I was back to normal, by the time I hit the 5km mark, after two water points and a sponge station, though that first slow pace kind of affected the rest of the run.
No. 8 Hill
I knew that I was yet to face the real back-breaker, which is Hill no. 8, though the other hills can easily confuse you that they are no. 8 if you are not familiar with this route. And… finally, there it was… 45 degrees uphill for 1.4km. Those are the worst 10 minutes of this whole episode. You face the uphill, you are tired after running 16km, you can hardly move uphill, the back aches, the legs ache, the shoes pinch and hurt, the hill does not end and…. the spectators look (and react) as if you are doing nothing!!
“We mzee, kimbia! Wacha kwenda pole pole! Unashindwa tu haka ka mlima” (You oldie, stop running slowly. How can such a mild hill give you trouble)
“Come try it yourself,” I am tempted to say. I resist the temptation or rather, I do not even have the energy to get any word out of my mouth.
After that hill it is a relief to face two mild uphills on your way to the finish line – these are some of the best 4kms that you can wish for in such a marathon.
And just as soon as it had started, the run came to an end at the main tarmac, just 400m from the once starting point.
I stop the timer at 1.47.01
The winner
After the finish there is nothing else to do, but come back to Nairobi. The remaining agony was just the 5km walk back to the bus and then a wait until 5pm for the trip back, as per the organizers schedule.
It was a pleasant surprise that the buses had been allowed to park at the Nairobi Water premises, which was nearer the finish point. It was equally fulfilling that the buses left Ndakaini at 1420 hours, reaching the city a few minutes past four. Subconsciously, I observed the various shopping centres and areas of interest on the route such as Mbari ya Rugu Primary School (what is name is that?), Mukarara shopping centre (can’t they think of a better name), Mabanda centre (this name may be for a reason), Gahunyu centre (am lost) finally Thika (am found). From town centre, one last matatu brought me back to my residence – with a headache. This is something, since I even did a 28km run two weeks ago but did not end up with a headache. I usually know that a run has got the better of me if I have a headache after the run. Ndakaini marathon, while commemorating its 13th edition, in my case, for the fourth time in a row, has now officially been confirmed to be yet another run that has gotten the better of me!
Barack Wamkaya Wanjawa, Nairobi Kenya, Saturday, September 10, 2016
