The runners make the Uganda Marathon what it is. The friendships, the community, the fundraising and the determination to finish is why the UGM is truly a Race Like No Other. Here we tell the stories of the runners who took part in 2016 event, as they share their insights and experiences of the week-long adventure.
Lottie & Léon both signed up for our half marathon event, seeking an experience where they could do ‘something different and give something back’. Here, they talk about their very special experience at the charity project STEP, as well as visiting a deaf school and viewing art at newly set-up project Creative Canvas. They also emphasise how the week is all about ‘the people’, and Leon explains how he was enjoying the race so much, he decided to do another lap and run the full marathon course!
1. What made you both sign up for the Uganda Marathon 2016?
Lottie: We had only officially been together for about two months. We were sitting in a bar in Chiswick and Léon looked twitchy. With turning 40 this year, he wanted to do something different and to give something back so to speak. His good friend Sarah Jordan (who was also on the trip) had shown him the Uganda Marathon promo poster and so he had prepared a pitch to try and persuade me to join him on this once in a lifetime trip.
It turns out I didn’t need much persuading signing up to run the half marathon in Africa, 6 months down the line, only 8 weeks into our relationship!
2. Was it what you both expected?
Lottie: I don’t think we quite knew what to expect. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy but we focused on training and preparing our bodies for the conditions of the race. We kept open minds and went into the experience full throttle. Léon and I aren’t easily fazed, so we felt ready for anything Africa had to throw our way. In hindsight, I was certainly overwhelmed by the contrast from one place to another, especially when we took a bike ride tour through Entebbe. One minute you are cycling through extreme poverty, the next, wealth. Once at camp and settled, we didn’t quite expect to be as close to our tent partners as we were, but this only added to the rural experience. However, I’m not sure Matt and Mel would say the same after enduring a night of Léon’s ‘concord’ snores… Sorry guys!
The race itself was of course hard, but we expected the worst, especially after doing a 5K and finding it ten times harder than back home. So when the Gods gave us cloud for the first couple of hours on Race Day, it was a welcomed bonus!
3. You both visited STEP on one of the Make A Difference Days. Could you tell us about the day and your experience with this project?
Lottie: This was our favourite part of the trip where we really felt we contributed to making a difference and having an impact on the way the older folks are able to provide for themselves and their families. It was an extremely hot day with no shade around to seek solace but everyone rolled their sleeves up and got stuck in. We got involved with everything we could, from mixing cement to moving bricks in a wheelbarrow, building a wall, and laying the roof. STEP was a charity which we both felt a special affinity to, and we really hope that the work that we did will have a long-lasting effect on the way they are able to live their lives.
4. What other projects did you visit during the week?
Lottie: We visited the school for deaf children where we were able to paint the tyres in the playground for them. We were also, very honestly, given our Deaf Names and were taught how to say these using sign language. Léon however, painted a tyre beyond the line-marking of our designated area and was ostracised from the group as a result….we don’t talk of it anymore. He’s very embarrassed.
We were both overwhelmed by the artwork at Creative Campus. The talent on display was jaw-dropping and we feel thankful that the Uganda Marathon was able to give the people of Masaka a proper chance to showcase this.
5. Could you tell us about your experience of Race Day and running the half marathon course through Uganda?
Lottie: Anyone that knows me well will tell you I hate running. Hate it. In fact, I don’t think there’s much else in this world that I hate more. So running the half marathon was a massive thing for me. Not the physical aspect of it as I’m quite naturally fit, but the mental aspect.
Unfortunately, the day before Race Day I felt a twinge all day in my lower back (of course, this had nothing at all to do with the previous night’s twerking with the locals from the dance school). This sadly referred down to my knee which put me in the most excruciating pain while running. Though I can deal with pain well, when my knee started giving way at mile 6 I felt the only way of being able to complete the run was to do bursts of power walks as well as short runs. This was frustrating as I was problem-free during the 5 months leading up to the race!
However, running through the village and through Bugabira School was such a humbling experience. Having the locals and children cheer you on and run along side you gives you all the encouragement you need to see it through til the end, whilst reminding you the reason behind why you’re running.
6. Léon, you went on to run the second lap and run the full 42K instead of the half marathon… what made you decide to suddenly run the full marathon?
Léon: Good question. And one I am still mulling over to this day! Right from the outset when Lottie and I decided to go to Uganda, we agreed that the purpose of the trip was to enjoy the whole adventure and take the run gently at the end of the week, safe in the knowledge that we’d be able to get round at a pace that suited us both, so we could relish and share the unique experience together.
Also, we were keen to indulge in all the local food and drink that the local community could offer us throughout the whole week, safe in the knowledge that we only had to endure a ½ marathon. I’ve only ever done one marathon before, the London Marathon when I was 25, and I knew how much time and effort, both mentally and physically, it consumed… I also vowed after that experience that I’d never do another one!
So, back to the original question…I guess I got totally intoxicated by the whole event on the day itself. The beautiful views, the amazing buzz and warmth from all the communities we ran through. The indescribable spirit shared by the runners and the organisers as well. And above all, the purpose behind why we were doing it and the overwhelming appreciation from the Ugandans made me push on through. I never wanted the experience to end, as it was the culmination of 6 months training, preparing, sharing our stories & excitement with family, friends, colleagues and wanting to give so much back to these people who live a truly humbling existence.
It was no mean feat. I’d only done one 10-mile run in training, so my personal trainer Bert has definitely got to take all the credit for preparing my body to endure a marathon! My marathon days are definitely over now. I know for sure that no other marathon will eclipse the life-changing experience that I had in Uganda.
7. Finally, what was your best overall memory of the Uganda Marathon, and how would you sum it up for someone who hasn’t been?
Lottie: On the first night, I needed to find my way back to the toilets for a wee. Our tent was the furthest away from camp and in my opinion had the most breathtaking view as there was nothing else around us or in sight apart from the vista ahead. I managed to find the toilets after 20 minutes by following the sound of voices back at camp. However, it took me several laps of the camp and numerous encounters with the perplexed looking security guards to eventually surrender and ask for help back to our tent…. “What’s it called?”, they asked. I desperately racked my brains, I’d only clocked it once. “Ngubari? Ngburo? Ngburu? It’s the furthest one out?” With this, they seemed to have grasped what I was going on about. So there I was, 3am in the morning, rural Africa, being escorted back to my tent in my Little Mermaid pyjamas by two guards with walkie-talkies and machine guns. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that!
On a serious note though, the moral of this story is about the people. Uganda isn’t scary, or dangerous. It’s filled with gracious, friendly, intelligent habitants who cannot do enough for you and whom you can’t help but fall in love with. The Uganda Marathon enables you to give something back to these people which is an opportunity that should be grabbed with both hands. Furthermore, Léon and I feel we have made some great friends which is easy to do within the warmth of the community it’s created. The organisation of it from start to finish was flawless, and I would encourage anyone who’s searching for a fun and rewarding, life-changing experience to get involved. Sign up now, live outside your comfort zone and push yourself to your limits. We did and don’t regret it for one minute.
Like to read more?
- Interview with a UGM Runner – Ali Malvern
- UGM Runners’ Community: Summer Wrap Up
- 12 Reasons to Run the Uganda Marathon
