The Run.

I did participate in the “Mayor’s Tournament” this weekend which I must tell you all about – it was a fabulous day.
The event is a day to celebrate women! It typically takes place every August which is Women’s Month in South Africa and our local municipality holds the event to celebrate the very important (and very difficult) role that women play in their family and culture but it also highlights women's continued struggle for equality. The event is open to women ages 18 to 80 (or older if they want to come!) and there is a run, soccer tournament, netball tournament (not this year though), traditional dancing contest, beauty contest (yes?!) and fashion parade! I had no idea?!

My friend, Lebo, came the night before to tell me that I needed to be on the tar road by 6AM because the local ward councilor would pick me up to take me to the start of the race. Sure enough, she was there to pick me up and we drove to the registration line and start of the run. It was clear that I was an anomaly. There was a bit of “talk” among the racers as to my attendance (why was I there?!) but then they figured out that I was a “local” and it was fine. It was also discovered I was from AMERICA (always an exciting discovery here) and then I became an instant celebrity. We had to wait for a while so I talked to people – asking about where they were from and why they were running. I must share a few information tidbits about the race:

• A free T-shirt can motivate any person, across any culture (there were free T-shirts given to all runners). I almost got mauled when they started passing them out.

• I wish I could have shared a picture of the runners at this race compared to a race that you might be picturing. DO NOT picture an American race. These women were in skirts, jeans, shoeless or not in appropriate running shoes (ie, flip flops, keds, holes in shoes, etc.). I only saw one woman actually wearing running shoes (other than myself). But it didn’t matter. They were so excited to be there.

• The gogos that were at the race were awesome! These are the grandmothers of the villages. They were in their headwraps, skirts, many were toothless, dancing and laughing (often at me trying to dance)! Ready to run (or kindof).

• If you have to use the bathroom while waiting for a couple of hours for the race to start, you just go. In the bush.

• Even though this was called a marathon, the distance was only about 5km. There is no way that these wonderful women could have “run” any further. Maybe a few of them, actually, with a little bit of understanding of pacing. They would sprint and then stop. Sprint and then stop. I tried to get them to slow down but it was sort of a lost concept?

• I did NOT win the race. For many reasons. General confusion about what was happening (and when the thing actually started – I thought we were still just singing and then all of a sudden everyone was running)? But mostly because I “ran” with several girls who wanted to hang with me. And then I encouraged the gogos for a bit. But that’s okay. There’s always next year!? Although, Piet, my host father, was quite disappointed to hear I didn’t win!

Next year, I hope to help the local municipality plan the event (with maybe some donations from my wonderful friends and family back home of running shoes?!). I was lucky enough to meet the mayor and the speaker as well as several of our local ward councilors. It was such an inspiring day.

And, I can’t even begin to describe the soccer playing gogos. This was truly a sight.