Ndakaini II - I was ready, but...

Ndakaini II - I was ready, but...

I am already planning for the third attempt at Ndakaini.  This is because I failed to beat the under 100-minute, which was my intention, as a way of getting back at the organizers.  I was getting back at them for their pre-race poor organization that forced me to go for my run number about 5 times without success.  I finally got my run number 1957 one day to the event.

Early

But this is how it was: For Ndakaini 11 of Saturday, September 13, 2014, I left my residence at 4.45am and walked to the highway to get a matatu that dropped me in town around 5.00am.  I did not know where the communal transport was to be picked, since the organizers had promised to call with this information but they did not.  I just decided to match to Kenya Re parking, where we got our transport last year.  True to instinct, I found the first ‘Double M’ bus almost full and ready to leave.  I boarded and was out of the city at exactly 5.45am.  I sat just behind the driver, next to a lady who looked like a press girl.  Just in front of me, and to the left, I saw other press men, evident by their badges and big bags, out of which I could see cameras protruding.

The drive through Uhuru Highway to Museum Hill roundabout was smooth, with hardly any vehicles at this time of the morning.  We hit Thika road five minutes later and it was smooth all the way to Thika, where we turned off to the left towards Gatanga at 6.30am and finally disembarked at Nairobi Water station Ndakaini at 7.20am.  I noted that this was about 30 minutes after Gatanga shopping centre.  I was at the starting point, a five minute brisk walk away, by 7.30am.  I now had a whole hour to warm up.  In fact, only a handful of athletes were gathered at this time.  Alas!  The runners started streaming in from all directions, and by eight, the starting line was packed.

Homour

The warm up started and the so did the excitement.  By 8.15am, the jostling for the front line was already evident.  We even had a false start at 8.30am, only for the runners to be called back.

“Let them start the run now!,” someone shouted from the crowd.

“We did not come here for a warm up!,” someone else responded.

“I may be running till late evening, the earlier we start the better,” this particular one left all in stitches.

Amidst all that, I could hear a fellow runner tell his colleague, “I have gauged the runners.  I shall at least be number 990 out of 1000.  I cannot be last, that’s for sure.”

The starting blast occurred amidst all that chatter.  I press the start button on my phone’s stopwatch, and off I went, with the middle group of runners.  The first stretch of hill to where we parked the bus was unnoticeable, though those who sprinted were out of breath in five minutes.  The weather was cold, chilly to be exact.  It was even drizzling.  The run pace was good and I was doing quite a fast run.  I hit the 5km marker at a water station, with a time of 0.23.33.  That was fast!  I had envisaged a 0.25.00 at this point.  With that pace, I was surely going to do the sub-100 guaranteed.  Then the first hill hit me out of nowhere.  I reduced pace together with all the runners on my group.  Some of them reduced so much that I had to overtake them.  I remembered that I still had the next many hills, though this time round I was psychologically prepared for them all.  A turn, followed by a river crossing brought the next hill, then another turn brought the next hill.  A short stretch, a steep downhill and there again, another hill.  After that, just a sharp left turn then a hill, followed by another hill.  I knew that this was not the end of it.  We passed by a noisy crowd of secondary school children urging us on.  Later, some lady commented on our direction, “Sasa ni mlima moja tu.”, translation, 'just one more hill'.  I knew that she was lying, but I kept going.  Keeping the truth to myself.

Hilly finish

We then faced the 45 degrees hill.  I had seen it described on the runners guide, I remembered it from last year, and I knew it when I saw it.  No worry, since I was ready for this one.  I know that there are other hills ahead, though not as steep.  I kept doing hill after hill after hill.  I make a final turn to the main road that leads back to Ndakaini.  I knew that this stretch was about 5km, though it could ‘cheat’ you that you are just about to finish.  It also had its share of mild hills, but I was ready for all these hills this time round.

My mind was still lost on the number of remaining hills, when I finally reached Ndakaini shopping centre and had to take the last hill, followed by a right turn to Ndakaini primary school finish point.  I finished the run and …. I was not tired.  Some lady pointed a gadget on my run number as I walked out of the finish line.  I realized this was the timing chip being read.  I also remembered to stop my timer at 1.46.50.  Now, this was 106 minutes.  So, where did I gain the 6 minutes!?.

At the finishing line, I do not remember how many 500ml bottles of water that I took.  At least five, that’s for sure.  Later on, it was time to crown the king and queen of Ndakaini 2014.  Mathew Kisorio won the 21km mens event in 1.05.30, while Gladys Chesire was the ladies champ in 1.15.37.

This is what I wrote to colleagues on the runners page after I was back home, “I could blame the cold or drizzle or the added hills or all. However, that does not matter, since next year am meeting the route for the third and final duel.”  Maybe even the run edition was to blame.  Was it Ndakaini 11 or Ndakaini II?

I cannot conclude before talking about the speeches.  How do you keep tired marathoners waiting for the crowning moment by engaging in long speeches?  The Chairman of the organizing committee calls the area MP to greet the people, in a greeting that lasted over 5 minutes.  MP Roho Safi then calls the Area MCA.  MCA then calls the Senator.  Senator is followed by UAP MD – surely!  At some point we heard from the Cabinet Secretary in Charge of Environment, Prof. Judy Wakhungu, which was significant since she was the one who then awarded the 200k cheque to Kisorio and another 200k to Chesire.  For the rest of us…

Barack Wamkaya Wanjawa, Nairobi, Kenya, September 13, 2014