Yesterday, I ran a half-marathon as part of the Accra International Marathon (“AIM”). Well, actually I ran-walked it, finishing in roughly two and half hours. They didn’t have a clock so that’s an estimate from my watch.
According to the race director, the marathon’s mission is to “attract national and international participants to a world-class marathon running and walking event in the nation's capital and to be a fundraising vehicle in support of The Longevity Project (the Project). The mission of The Longevity Project is to increase the life expectancy and quality of life of Ghanaians. The prevailing life expectancy is approximately 58 years.”
The marathon was quite the adventure, different from any race I’ve ever done in the US. While we started in a fairly rural area and did at least 3-4 miles along a beautiful Oceanside road, a large part of the race was run through busy suburbs of Accra. This means that I spent most of my mental energy focusing on not getting flattened by a car (although I was hit by a car door), dodging people (or gently pushing them out of the way), and preserving my ankles in uneven roadside ditches.
The race was truly international, however. In a field of only 400, I spoke with runners from Poland, Holland, Russia, the UK, South Africa, Liberia, Japan, and the US. A six-year old girl and several Peace Corps volunteers also competed. We finished the morning eating jollof rice (to be explained in my food posting) and dancing to a Ghanaian drummer on the beach. Amazing day!
(Pictured: the awesome handmade bag given to all runners)
Wow, Meghan, glad to know you're keeping up with the running over there, and picking up awesome race bags as a bonus. I guess they didn't close the streets for your race! Two and a half hours in the heat in a city is a good time, considering...
ReplyDeleteyou are my hero!!!!!!!
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