Here we interview runners who have participated in the Uganda Marathon, so they can share their stories and experiences from the 7-Day Adventure. After all, it’s their involvement which makes the week so special, from the impact they have on the Charity Projects to the community feel they give to Race Day.
Rosie joined us from Yorkshire in the UK and ran the half marathon. In her interview, she talks about her special visit to the charity project ‘Bright Angels’, the camaraderie of Race Day, and how the whole experience has left a lasting impact on her!
1. What made you sign up to the Uganda Marathon and was it what you expected?
I signed up as a solo traveller for the Uganda Marathon, as quite a last-minute entrant, quite simply because I enjoy combining my loves of running and travel. The whole experience was not at all what I expected, in the most wonderful way.
My biggest concern when I signed up was that there was going to be pressure to ‘go begging’ to support the fundraising. I remember sharing this concern in a preliminary phone conversation with Andy (one of the organisers), but he reassured me that there was no pressure from the organisation with regard to fundraising. However, I very clearly remember him saying “I promise, the more you put into your fundraising efforts, the more you will get out of your experience”. And wow, he was absolutely right!
2. Could you tell us about your experience of visiting the Charity Project, Bright Angels?
I think visiting Bright Angels was one of the most incredible experiences of my life so far and by far my favourite day of the week in Uganda. One thing that really surprised me was how many different projects the marathon supports, so my ‘clan’ (project team) was a lot smaller than I had imagined, with different runners going to various projects for the day. But this made my efforts and the whole experience with the project so much more personal.
When we arrived, the whole school of over 400 children gave us the most spectacular and emotional welcome. The school was very rural, and it was obvious the children weren’t accustomed to seeing white people and were totally fascinated by us. The staff and children had clearly worked so hard to make the day special for us. We painted the children’s drawings on the walls of a classroom, painted the outside of another classroom, planted coffee plants, planted some very special palm trees at the entrance to the school, and played netball and football with the children.
My favourite part of the day was at the end, when I spent about an hour sat with a group of children, talking and showing them pictures on my phone. I learnt so much about their lives and they were so excited to hear and see pictures of mine. They knew from my photos and the answers to their questions that my life was so privileged in comparison, but they were nothing but fascinated, excited and positive. They wanted to see photos of my family, and I showed them a photo of my Dad in a wheelchair and explained he was ill at the moment. They all collectively gave me so much love and said they were so sorry and wished him well very soon. Those children finding such genuine compassion for me, after seeing my ridiculously privileged life in my photos, was a very emotional and incredibly humbling experience. They really were the most beautiful little souls, a huge testament to the care and talent of the staff, and I couldn’t help but leave feeling they had given me far more than I could ever give them with financial support.
“Visiting Bright Angels was one of the most incredible experiences of my life and by far my favourite day of the week in Uganda.”
3. Could you tell us what it was like to participate in the half marathon at the end of the week?
By the time race day arrived, I’d had so many amazing experiences, that it almost felt like the race would be an anti-climax. However, once again, I was wrong.
The camaraderie and team spirit of the race were unlike anything I’ve experienced before. I ran with a couple of my new friends and the scenery on the route was nothing short of incredible. It almost felt a shame to run faster for it to be over sooner. We were so well looked after by the race support team, checking in with us regularly. Running through a couple of projects that the marathon supports was the cherry on top.
4. Finally, what was your best overall memory from the 7-days, and how would you sum it up for someone who hasn’t been?
I’m not sure I really can sum up the week or choose a favourite memory but I know that Uganda and the experience of the week has changed me and will stay with me forever. It’s almost impossible for words to explain the experience, people just need to go!
The Uganda Marathon organisation is nothing short of wonderful – the number of projects and different ways they help and support the community far exceeded what I could have imagined, and I very much trusted them with my hard-earned fundraising efforts and my safety while I was there. Each and every one of the projects was so worthwhile and I just wish I could have visited and supported them all.
Thank you Uganda Marathon.
