Run for Africa

Taro Agui's Harriers Running Club organizes the first annual Run for Africa this morning.

Despite my poor running condition of late, despite my general skepticism about charitable causes, despite the brutal heat and humidity in Tokyo, despite a pervasive feeling of malaise, I manage to crawl onto my bicycle at 7:30am and ride over to the Imperial Palace for the 5k event.

I am impressed to learn that Run for Africa benefits the Kasisi Orphanage in Zambia where 180 children (40 with HIV or AIDS) are cared for and that the Asics shoes I donate will be delivered directly to Zambian street children. I am also delighted to see a whole phalanx of Nambanners including Tokairin-san, Ma, Shoji, Marlissa, Gordon, Keren and Bob.

One of the nice things about the sport is occasionally getting out there and mixing it up a bit with the competition. Within a few hundred meters of the start I found myself in the lead pack with 2 younger guys just ahead of me, and Keren, Gordon, Bob, and some other over-40 guy right behind. The competitive instincts kick in a bit, and I even briefly take the lead around 700 meters, before settling into behind the second place kid (Katsu-san, who I later learn is actually 35 years old).

The energy drains out of me as we round the Palace grounds and start up the notorious Palace hill around the 4k mark. But I focus on staying right behind the kid, and hang on for 3rd place and first in the over-40 division with a time of 17:33. Of course in retrospect, I think to myself that I should have at least TRIED to overtake the kid as we ran up the hill. But that is easy to say now. The important thing is feeling more alive after a fine morning and helping a good cause.

The next Run for Africa is on August 26