Kilimanjaro marathon? labda..

A few of us decided to go to site for some sundowners on Sunday night to relax after a busy weekend and just chill out for a while. I’d heard that sometimes you can see Mt Kilimanjaro from the huge verandah if the conditions are right, but this was the first time I’d seen it from there. The clouds kept lowering to show more of the glaciers, and I managed to get a half ok photo just before the sun went down and the shadows softened it. So beautiful. It’s one of the places I really want to see while I’m in Africa, so when I found out a couple of weeks ago about the Mt Kilimanjaro marathon which is being held on 1st March this year I decided I’d go. It sounds awesome, apparently runners come from all over Africa and the rest of the world to compete in this event. The run starts just outside Moshi and heads up the base of the mountain through coffee plantations and tiny villages then back down again. The best thing for me though was as well as a marathon and half marathon, there is a 5km run. Perfect for me, I haven’t ran in any type of organised event since about 1996, and 5km is not a long distance, and I really want to see Kili close up. So I decided to go to Hash tonight (a worldwide running/drinking club which has a group in Arusha) to see if they had a group going that my friend Loretta and I could join up with. So anyway, before the hash run we were talking with Stiggy (hash leaves from his restaurant every week), and somehow Loretta and I have now committed to running (or more likely walking) the half marathon. 21.1kms instead of the 5km fun run. With no training. It’s on the day after tomorrow, we have no accommodation booked, we think we might be getting a lift to Moshi with someone called Oka but not exactly sure, so we could be getting a bus instead.. absolutely nothing is organised. But I am so excited. It’s going to be a challenge, definitely, but an experience I just can’t miss. Hopefully I write here again. If not, please send some help to Mt Kilimanjaro. And wish me luck!