To the shortest race of the Never Give up Circuit coincided with the latest start ever! Everything started well, in spite of the fumes from the party to celebrate the Italian Republic which was anticipated to the Friday night, Giorgia woke up early to collect the bread, Sidney left early to pick up the athletes still waking up, but all of a sudden a screw from the truck’s air filter broke, so we started only at 14,30, luckily the sterile clouds of the dry season gifted us with long shaded times which allowed the children present to run after a football made of old cloths.
The path is the classic Mungu round: a kilometer among golden grass taller than many athletes, a trapezium defined by only four turns one of which treacherous to the left, at a 30° acute angle, with a final walkway through the football ground very close to the arrival. The Seniors ran two rounds, while the Juniors fought for the victory on a single round. First to start are the Junior Girls followed by Junior Boys, Senior Girls and Senior Boys to open the race by bicycle Ernest Malambo, coach of Chaniana. Present are 299 children and youths as usual the majority are under 12 year old.
The circuit allows those who are not running to see and cheer the others and the screams are like in a football stadium, like the boos of disapproval when an unknown athlete springs up even before the bicycle of Ernest, it is not clear whether the shortcut was a mistake or not but the unavoidable disqualification came punctually.
We are now half way through the circuit and also the overall standings is by now taking shape: overall first Senior Boy is Gillias Nangwala, Senior Girl is Ruth Kapempe, Junior Boy is Most Mulebe and Junior Girl is Milika Muweswa.
This race too saw the triumph of the usual champions: Gillias Nangwala first Senior Boy followed by Lucky Kazembe and Sydney Mweemba, Ruth Kapempe for the Senior Girls followed by Magrete Banda and Naomi Kabwata, for the Junior Boys first was Most Mulebe followed by Paul Phiri and Gift Matimba, Milika Muweswa is the first Junior Girl followed by Ramona Muyuya and Cynthia Hangombwa.
(as always, you can find the photo gallery here)