And the XVI edition of the Never Give Up has come to a start, we are all at C7 ready to start the Senior race. The young neo mum Esther Mweswa is here with her 7 months old son Thomas who is comfortably sleeping on auntie Milika’s back, also a runner but today she will just babysit since she is not feeling well. Many among the strongest are missing, at the departure the runners are not many, 130 all together, but the first race is always the one with the fewest participants.
Juniors start from Kasusa, a couple of kilometres after C7, and they all clap and cheer when the first Senior Lucky Kazembe takes the lead, he will keep the first place all the way to the arrival at Mungu school, he is followed by Abraham Kunda and third place goes to Joseph Malambo. After only 6 minutes Sylvia Malaila crosses the arrival, first senior girls of only fourteen year is stronger than most runners much older then her, second place for Mercy Kapempe and third Esther Mweswa, Thomas’ mum.
The podium of the Junior Boys is conquered by Coach Ernest who trains his Chanyanya team and helps out Coach Bello from Chikupi in the athletics program, first is Joe Malambo and second Jonas Chilembo, both from Chanyanya, third is Kaule Mwando from Chikupi. The battle among the three main teams of the Never Give Up is fierce among the junior girls: from Kabwesa is the first to cross the finish line, Mildred Kandolo, followed by Eunice Malobeka from Chipapa and third Nella Kasala from Chanyanya.
The prices for this first race are a bag of mielie meal for the firsts, a warm blanket for the approaching Zambian winter for the second and cooking oil for the thirds.
Next race is set for the 24th May, the Mungu Circuit, the favourite of the youngest runners who will attend in numbers I am sure.