Friday evening with no power in Kafue. ‘Survivors’ dinner at candle light, with milk, cereal,
bread, Egyptian spiced bread sticks, jam and many pawpaw from Chikupi. The children eat a lot foreseeing the first race, then Winnie the eldest, who will race for the first time in the over 12, says ‘before the start, I am always a bit tense and worried, it seems to me that at the departure I will not be able to start, to run for the all race, then after the start and the elbowing, everything goes and I only think about reaching the arrival’. Still she did not know, that despite the TB of the bones, which crippled her stride, she would arrive fifth … for the first time …
Like usual at the first race it is not a full house, about a hundred of always present, inspired by passion, eye one another before the departure, some big are not there and the young second lines and the elders ever placed feel that the first victory could be near, only those 6,5 km which separate Kasusa from the football field of Mungu.
It is hot. The rain season could start at any time, at the departure the athletes create a cloud of dust, which reminds the tire screech of the Land Rover, there is the desire to run, to have fun. Among the Senior Boys the first victory of Eugene Chaambwa with his jumping style, each stride draws a parabola of very high vertex, if he will ever be able to use his energy to push ahead, he will be dangerous for everybody in Zambia. In the Junior Girls at the photo finish Mercy Kapempe makes it, after an arrival shoulder to shoulder with Sylvia Malaila. Akim Mwanza confirmed himself superior to all, even though we will have to verify if the age is still junior. Understanding the age is never easy, registers and birth certificates do not exist. Historical memory, ‘auto-certification’, height, body structure and the moans of the losers are some of the empirical elements to approximate the age. In the Senior Girls the victory of the Junior champion of the previous edition who did not have any problem to impose herself in this category which for social reasons is always the one of the lowest level in the circuit.
This race taught the children and youths that if you stand fast, you are always present sooner or later the good occasion comes for all. At the end refreshments for all sponsored by our friend blogger Matteo Raimondi.
The next race from Kasusa to Chikupi, will also be used to select the participants to the first Lusaka Marathon, which will be held the 1st December.