Running in Nairobi
My hotel room in Nairobi overlooked a street. This street was free of traffic in the early mornings when I watched it while holding a cup of coffee. From the hotel’s fifth floor window, I saw quite a few runners on this street. Some ran in groups, some alone. Some in sports clothes, some in office formals, almost out of habit it seemed. Adults ran, and so did kids dressed in school clothes and on their way to school. Watching them I realised that running, especially long distance, is almost a national sport in Kenya.
“We compete with Ethiopia in running,” informed my taxi driver, Edward, later that morning when I asked him whether it was normal for me to spot so many runners in the morning on a desolate Nairobi backstreet. Since the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, Kenyan and Ethiopian runners have dominated the middle- and long-distance events in athletics. “Running is a business in Kenya,” Edward continued, “there is a style of running that we call as ‘the Kenyan way’. Many visitors come to Kenya to join camps that teach our way of running. And, in these camps, there is a chance to meet and learn from top Kenyan runners and coaches”.
I was intrigued. Later that day, I checked the prices of these running camps. A two-week training in one of the popular camps would set me behind by at least 1200 euros. This was beyond my budget for the trip. The good thing with running is that it is one of the cheapest sports in the world. The only investment that one needs is a good pair of shoes. When I watched Kenyans running on the street, some even ran barefoot, not needing that singular investment either.
Inspired, I decided to go for a run the next morning. Is it safe for me, a foreigner, to run outside, I asked Edward. “As long as you don’t act like a foreigner,” he advised, “but that should be easy for you”. I wondered what he meant by that, to only discover later that Indians constitute a significant chunk of Kenyan population. So much so that Indian populace was recognised as a tribe, a recent addition to the 42 ethnic Kenyan tribes that exist in the country. Take a walk in any of the upcoming shopping malls in the capital, and you will spot faces from the subcontinent all around.
Next morning, I woke up early and after a cup of Kenyan tea, tied my shoelaces and headed out.
As I hit the road, I realised that Nairobi is a high-altitude city, like most of the other capitals of African nations. This capital is located at 1800 metres above sea level. Given the low level of oxygen, runners produce a higher concentration of red blood cells and haemoglobin when running. As a result, Kenyan runners get an advantage when they eventually return to lower altitudes to race.
However, for a newcomer to the city, like myself, running at this altitude is not easy. Though I have run long distances in the past, I struggled in this city. Five minutes into the run, I was huffing as if I am attempting to climb a mountain. The pollution didn’t help either. Though it was early morning, dust and smoke hung in the thick air like a translucent veil. It gets worse during the day, as cabs (called matatus, a shared taxi) and busses start pouring into the city centre, choking the narrow streets.
Some of the best running tracks in Nairobi can be found right in the centre of the city, I was informed. For example, just three kilometres from the city centre, is Nairobi Arboretum, which is one of the best central running locations in Nairobi. Its brick and dirt trails offer short loops around the outskirts of the city. Moreover, its trails are lined with several plant and tree species, where one can catch a view of birds, monkeys, and other wildlife.
When I reached Arboretum, my running pace settled into a gentle rhythm. Around me, were several others, who ran like I did, for pleasure. My sweat infused face broke into a forgiving smile, as I realised that I am doing what I love — i.e. running — and that too in a country where it’s a way of life, the country that perhaps gave birth to this sport.
With that realisation, I hopped ahead one more step.
