On 25th November staff in our Uganda [5] office took part in the 10km run of the MTN Kampala International Marathon [6], one of the country’s largest annual sports events.
The theme of this year’s event was ‘Run with your heart’. It was a great opportunity for the staff to build team spirit and raise money for a great cause – providing clean water to people in Bududa in eastern Uganda, organised by the Uganda Red Cross [7].
Nine staff from the Uganda team took part, along with Zahed from our London office. They would like to thank their finance team and above all their country manager, who made this possible. Special thanks also go to the London team for their support.
Here, some of the staff give their experiences of the marathon.
Petra (pictured) - Oil project intern
‘I have always loved running. Actually, I have always loved the idea of loving athletics. Today it is the “in thing” to be in shape and fit and so the idea of being able to keep up a sprint for about 15 minutes is very appealing. That is why when Alert signed us up for the MTN Marathon, I must have been the most eager… at least I was before we actually started running!
‘I was very early that day, as I usually am, especially because I was so excited, as the competitive streak came out and I was very determined to show my workmates what I was made of. In my primary school years I was queen of the race tracks, a Kiprotich of sorts. Well, all I can say is that I was no Kiprotich or any Kip for that matter. The first ten minutes into the race I was gasping for breath like a fish pulled out of a pond. By the next fifteen, I felt like I had a great rock in my lungs. By the time I reached the watering points I felt like I had just reached an oasis after a day walking in the Sahara, and I drank like it too... I quite dreaded having to go on but I had to be true to the great showbiz slogan: the show must go on. I reluctantly continued the race, wondering how on earth I could have gotten so out of shape. I went on, very disillusioned that I had any chance of “showing” my workmates. Clearly I was not going to win, but being last? There is such a thing as too much irony.
‘And that is how I came to be the second last in Alert’s team. I was very happy when I made it to the finish line just about one second before Grace. It was such a great feeling and ever so rewarding to have run for a noble cause and to have made an impact on some lives in Bududa. I thank International Alert for such a fulfilling experience. However, I must warn everyone that next year, I will be queen again. Watch this space!’
Grace (pictured) - Driver
After completing half a kilometre, Grace dreaded the distance ahead of him. He decided to engage reverse gear, running opposite towards the starting point (pictured left). How he changed his mind to finish the race, only God knows.
Francis… ever gracious in victory - Senior Finance, Administrative and HR Officer
‘Many or at least some of you posed as winners of the recently concluded marathon. Results have shown that Francis Okiror came the first in Alert team! Ronald could not contain it and decided to leave, while John avoided meeting me in any discussion over it. Sophie, who called me during the marathon, actually gave up on realising I was far ahead of her. Others realised they could not cope and therefore never appeared. That included Marco. Stephen, sportily dressed, could not stand the test. Lucy joined the last lot, walking their dogs and cats, and finally got into the bus back home. So was it with Robert. Hope we shall prepare better for next time!’
Alex - IT
‘It was a great opportunity to be part of MTN Marathon 2012. It was an experience for me because that was my first time participating. I felt touched with people in Bududa who were suffering from disasters, so when MTN came up with an idea of helping them through the marathon, I committed myself that I have to be among the people who will raise funds to support them. I would like to thank International Alert for their support and the opportunity it gave us to be part of the group that helped our sisters and brothers in Bududa.’
Zahed (pictured with Dennis, Grace and Petra) - Senior Programme Officer
‘Waking up the morning of the marathon I was filled with a sense of excitement but at the same time a sense of trepidation. Excitement because I was looking forward to joining in on a Uganda event and my previous experience of running a marathon left me with the memory of it being good fun. Trepidation because I had done no training, I was running at altitude and how embarrassing would it be if I did not finish!
‘As my emotions grew and I made my way to the lobby and on to the street, I saw numerous runners flying past me, my initial reaction was that I had missed the start in which case I could just go back to bed, but then news filtered through that the 10k race would begin shortly so we hurriedly made our way to the starting point. Unfortunately before I got there, we came across a flood of eager runners all shapes and sizes excitedly running past – we had missed the beginning! At this point the temptation to go back to bed was overcome by the look of glee on the runners’ faces – so I decided to join the race from where I was.
‘The race itself began quite slowly, as navigating past very crowded streets was difficult and I often found myself running along the grass to keep my momentum going. However, after the five mile mark the crowds were left behind and I was able to stretch my legs a bit and enjoy the running; after the six mile mark the enjoyment soon wore off and I was beginning to wish the crowds would come back and I could slow to a walking pace without the shame of having everyone run past me.
‘Nonetheless I still kept running, albeit at a reduced pace, but as I was reaching a low and thoughts of giving up were slowly entering my mind, an energetic man came running past telling me to keep going. However, instead of running off into the distance, he came back, smiled and said don’t worry, we will finish it together! At this point I perked up, told myself I could do it and started to stretch my legs out again, and the pain started to drift away. Unfortunately this feeling of euphoria was short-lived and by the eighth mile I was desperately looking for hints of the finishing line, as I could hear the announcer’s voice bellowing out across Kampala; by the ninth mile the finish line was still not in sight and I decided enough was enough, I need a rest and it happened, I started to walk! The next half mile was the worst, as I alternated between walking and crawling, but as I got closer the roar of the finish line dragged me forward and the end was sweet.
‘Overall it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and great way to see Kampala!’
Alert’s other runners were Dennis (Driver), John (Project Officer), Lucy (Senior Programme Officer), Ronald (Finance, Administrative and HR Manager) and Sophie (Finance, Administrative and HR Assistant).
Find out about our work in Uganda here. [5]
Photos by Marco Simonettie and Lamunu Petra, International Alert