Kilimanjaro Marathon

This is not a mountain race! Don't be scared. The first half is an out-and-back pan-flat route on a closed road. A few hills on the second half but nothing very challenging. Some dirt roads that could be messy if it rains (it did) but a road shoe is fine for the conditions. Generally no one in the community is very interested in the race so don't expect any encouragement en route. The finish is AWFUL! For the last 3km, finishers of the half are walking back along the road and DO NOT give way to runners. This is consistent with the general demeanour of runners and administration that runners are a burden to the race. The last km along the narrow path is the so congested with rude people walking towards you that it is impossible to maintain a stride to the finish. The only reasons to do this race is that it is nearby where you live, you happen to be in the area, or you want a t-shirt with the name at the race to wear around the expo of a European/ North American race. It is NOT an adventure and a genuinely mentally taxing finish (beyond that of a just finishing a marathon).

I ran this race (21km) second time this year. The new route is good, organisation was excellent! Even the 'medal problem' of the last year have been addressed. I have heard the complaints from the slower runners that the roads were opened before they've finished, but apart from that there was no problem. More entertainment after the race perhaps?

I had a great time running this marathon. It was a hot day, but the sky was clear, and watching the sun start to touch the snowy peak of Mt Kili as we were assembling is a memory I will treasure forever. The music was almost painfully loud during this time- but you can ignore it. Take your own toilet paper to use in the washrooms - none was provided in the facility I used pre race, but there was plenty around post race. The in and out course allows for the unusual opportunity to see all the race leaders as they stream past in the opposite direction. Unfortunately for us mid-pack runners, the roads are opened up again after the fleet footed are through, so the last 5 or 6 km in particular was tough going for me - dodging buses and people going about their normal sunday morning routine. Until that point, and especially in the first couple of hours, the crowds were lovely, mostly quiet on the side of the road, but if you called, waved or high fived them, there were lots of cheers and laughter. It is not a big race, but is IAAF sanctioned, and is a great excuse to travel to a different corner of the world. I took my family (husband, kids aged 8,9,10, and mother) and entered them all in the 5km fun run. Apparently this year there was an issue at the end of the 21k run, and they ran out of goodie bags for the 5k as well. The marshalls seemed to be losing interest when I finished - it was hard to spot them as I entered the stadium, difficult to tell where to go to get to the finish, and in fact the marshall was blocking the only sign indicating which shute to run up to finish. But, 'this is Africa'. You get used to that. I had a ball :)