Lusaka Half-Marathon

Last weekend Henry and I ran the Lusaka half-marathon. We did it on kind of whim, and were slightly hesitant not knowing what kind of support the course would offer. Most things don't have a great online presence here in Zambia, and the little info we could find wasn't too encouraging. There were going to be no port-a-potties, but they would have water stations. Results from previous years also suggested it would be a pretty small crowd of runners.

We left for Lusaka the day before the race, a harrowing 6 hour drive from our home in Kitwe. Henry and I have made this road trip all too often, and it never seems to get shorter. This trip includes passing at least 6 police checkpoints, and it's always a gamble which ones will stop you. We celebrate every check point we pass without incident.

Although the road trip isn't fun, spending the weekend in Lusaka is. We always look forward to new restaurants and food we can't get in Kitwe. We often also try to go see a movie, since we don't have any movie theaters. The night before the half we decided to eat Thai food, which we were both really excited about. This did not end well for me, and I had an upset tummy all night and in the morning before the race. Our race packet/info came with a specific warning not to run if you had had diarrhea in the past week - info I haven't gotten in other races. It was promptly disregarded. That's life in Africa.

The race started really early. We had to leave our hotel around 5:15, and the race started at 6:00 am. We were super skeptical that the race would actually start on time, but I was super impressed with it's promptness!

warming up

While waiting in our holding pen (they had squares roped off for each race - marathon, half, 10k, & 5k), we met another American, a peace corps volunteer. Turned out she and Henry were born in the same hospital in Washington. Wow!

This half was significantly smaller than other races we've run, and much warmer. Running in Seattle in november usually means huddling in the car until the very last second, and keeping your coat on until the very last second. This was a comfortable change. Although it was so early it was still dark, it did also mean that it also wasn't too warm.

Other runners also not huddling in coats

Pretty much everyone was dressed like a typical race, but I have to acknowledge the people running in socks that totally kicked our butts. That was new to me. Having so few runners in the race meant we were really close to the front at the start. They also started us with a gun shot, which spooked me so much I almost darted off in the wrong direction.

The course was closed (meaning no cars on the roads) for about 45 minutes, then it became very intermittent. It was fun to see new areas of the city, especially since our usual routine takes us to the same places every time we visit. It was really different having so few runners on the course. In Seattle, you are constantly surrounded by tons of runners. At this race, there were times we couldn't even see the next runner in front of us. It felt kind of lonely to me, or like Henry and I were just out for a practice run. I missed the camaraderie I usually experience. I'm extra glad Henry ran with me.

I had stashed some jelly bellies in my runner's fanny pack (trust me, it's very stylish) and substituted these for a gu or any other subsistence along the way (I really missed the guy with krispy kremes who usually hangs out at mile 10!). Although they did have water on the course, they didn't have anything else. They also handed out entire bottles of water, which I appreciated.

Other notable things about this race: the smells. I don't know what we ran past, but one or two times we were hit with some pungent fumes. It was funky. It was also interesting how few spectators there were. There were two small groups over the entire course cheering. I kinda missed that as well. If I were to do it again, I would introduce the cowbell to the Zambian running scene.

Finished!

After we finished we stuck around to watch the winner of the marathon finish (only had to wait a few minutes....).

The most important thing after collecting our medals was to get some food. Not sure I'd do it again but I'm glad I did it once.

Contemplating our run

We spent the rest of the weekend in Lusaka, and saw the Jungle Book. Then we got to enjoy the long drive back to Kitwe.