November 27th marked the annual MTN Kampala Marathon race. Five other Peace Corps volunteers and I decided to participate this year. Five of us ran the half marathon (13.1 miles) while one brave soul opted for the full.
It was a fun and unique experience to be running in a region that continuously fields the best runners in the world year after year (mostly Kenya). Prior to the race, I was very curious about how all the logistics were going to work. How well would it be organized? What would the route be? How would they divert traffic from the roads?
Well, it turns out, to no surprise, that it was pretty poorly organized. The start and finish area seemed to be operating pretty well. But Kampala was a mess. There were potholes (in some cases huge, gaping holes) in our path. There were distance signs at different locations that were grossly inaccurate. The roads were not closed and cars were breezing past us spewing their nasty exhaust into our path. While I was finishing the race (2:02 finish by the way) I had several dozen boda-bodas (motorcycle taxis) running alongside me asking me if I wanted a lift and cutting me off. It was a bit aggravating.
Other parts of the race were organized well. They had plenty of water and sponge (?) stations, which definitely refreshed me throughout the journey. Actually I think I drank too much water (about 4 bottles) because it was so readily available every mile or so. But it was nice to see Kampala come together, sort of. Kampalans united in this event and encouraged one another. Everyone was excited and/or tired but still in high spirits. At the end I felt really great and not too tired, which surprised me. But mostly I just felt lucky to have good health and the opportunity to run in such a unique setting with fast Africans.
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