Sports Bad Year for Kenyan Marathon even as Grace Race attracts Hundreds
Andrew Ndarwa from Lowell, crosses the finish line at the 2009 Annual Grace race at number 26, well behind other runners.
Many Americans expressed their wish to have more local Kenyans come for a marathon challenge at the upcoming 2010 Grace Race. pic by H.Maina/Ajabu
By Harrison Maina, Ajabu Africa News , Posted January 23, 2010
The year 2009 may have ended peacefully but to the Kenyan marathon lovers, it has not been one of those great years to remember both on the national stage and at the local community level.
Kenyan men lost their long held title at the annual Boston Marathon dealing a severe blow to the Kenyan national pride. And although Selina Kosgei scooped the top prize in the women’s category to salvage the heard earned pride, the men did it again by losing the 2009 New York Marathon, another covered title in this fascinating world revered sport.
In Chelmsford Mass, hundreds of Americans who warmed up to challenge local Kenyans for a 5 mile marathon were disappointed when very few Kenyans turned up for the annual race aimed to raise funds for AIDS Orphaned children in Naivasha, Kenya. However, a young Kenyan man from Lowell, Andrew Ndarwa fought it out with the Americans and clocked in the top 30’s while Monica Kimemia, also from Lowell, finished the race in the top 50’s indicating that even Kenyan women can do it.
If you grew up in Africa, you probably can recall those days when you walked several miles ( or kilometers in Africa) barefooted, every day, year in year out till you graduate from primary school.
The sharp pebbles on the murram roads did not deter many from getting to school on time. Thoughts of the merciless canning by the teacher on duty for late comers would erase any pain caused by the pebbles grinding your feet as you walked hurriedly with your hand sewn book bag hanging on your shoulder.
Any kid who made it to school with a pair of rubber shoes was viewed as a celebrity.
If a child showed up to school in a pair of north star sports shoes, that child would be grouped in the in the likes of Paris Hilton or other high profile celebrities.
Pupils during a sports hour at a Kenyan primary school . File pic
And in a village setting, such kids belonged mainly to the teachers in the village, and occasionally a senior civil servant who would have enough to spare for their kids’ sneakers. These teachers and a few civil servants were the standard bearers in a poor community.
The teachers kids could even be spotted in suits at church on Sunday, a phenomenon that would be the talk in the school for the whole week.
The physical fitness generated by years of this routine would manifest itself during those cross country races where the whole school would be ordered to get out and run on any afternoon at the game teacher’s whim.
The cross country race would mostly cover a distance of 10 or so miles, with a carefully calculated route that would take you downhill first to the river, up an equally steep hill on the other side of the ridge, across several miles on another murrum road parallel to the ridge.
It goes without saying that for the runners to get back to the starting point, they would have to come back downhill from the neighboring ridge, up a steeply elevated hill to get to your ridge and then a winding murram road again back to the school.
Top school prefects who enjoyed top perks such as exemption from the punishing cross country would be positioned on prime locations with a bird’s eye view to make sure all the runners went downhill and across the bridge to the other ridge and back.
Notes would be taken for those who slowed down to a walk, and severe canning would be threatened for a repeat offense.
Naturally, everyone would finish the race, but only the top 3 heroes would be patted on the back and selected to represent the school at the divisional games, where everybody else was required to attend as cheering fans.
Amazingly, an ambulance would never follow the runners in case anyone passed out, because for one, there was no knowledge that ambulances existed in the world, and secondly everyone was pretty sure that nobody would faint in the due course of the race, and in my 13 years of annual cross country races, I never witnessed anyone requiring medical help after a 10 mile race.
Chelmsford, Mass. October 10, 2009.
Rev. Jeremiah Githere of Grace International church fired off a gun at exactly 10.00 am on a clear Saturday morning, setting off the 6th edition of the Annual Grace race.
It has been his role for the past several years since the inception of the race.
Hundreds of men, women and children cheered with determination as the athletes took off as fast as they could to get ahead of the pack in this five mile race. Several Ambulances and police vehicles trailed the runners and walkers just in case anyone needed emergency and for purpose of traffic control.
The race is an annual fund-raising event which involves a family-oriented community road race and walk in the city of Chelmsford, MA. The proceeds go directly to construction and eventual day-to-day operation of an orphanage and vocational training school being constructed in Naivasha, a city in the Rift valley province of Kenya.
The brain child of John Feehrer, the Grace Race was started in 2004 and has continued to grow exponentially, attracting hundreds of runners and scores of donors, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Naivasha projects.
John Feehrer, president of the Grace Race
According to a funds meter on the Grace Race website, the race has raised about $143,000 so far out of the targeted $200,000.
During the 2009 fall race, only a handful of Kenyans attended despite extensive publicity, leaving hundreds of white Americans and other immigrants disappointed for lack of challenge.“Where were those Kenyans we hear who are famous marathon champions?” posed one runner , gasping for breath after finishing the grueling race. “We would have loved a real challenge from the Kenyans in this area. We hope they will show up next fall,” she added.
Kenyan’s best hope in the grace race, Titus Mutinda , a marathon runner from Lowell, did not attend the 2009 race as he was involved in another community race in Connecticut taking place on the same day.
During the 2008 race, Mutinda, finished second with a time of 26:07 behind Patrick Tarpy of Providence, Rhode Island.
Casey Moulton from Pelham, NH won the 2009 men's race, setting a new course record time of 25:25 minutes while Kara Hass from Chelmsford, MA set a new women's course record time of 29:34.
Andrew Ndarwa, the Kenyan young man who finished 26th said that the race was exciting and he was surprised many Kenyans did not show up.
“I can’t believe that these Americans can be so fast. I thought I would win automatically being a Kenyan,” Ndarwa told AjabuAfrica.com after the race.
“I don’t know why many Kenyans can’t come to challenge the Americans and help raise money for our own children in Kenya” said Monica Kimemia, who finished 42nd with a time of 39:28. “I hope they can come next year so we can compete as we help fundraise,” added Kimemia.
Monica Kimenia of Lowell receives a trophy after finishing the 5 mile 2009 Annual Grace Race
According to John Feehrer, President of the Grace Race, the race affords regular folks in the Chelmsford area to do something towards contributing funds for the AIDS Orphaned children of Naivasha while still having fun.
“It is also very healthy for most people”, Feehrer told Ajabu Africa soon after completing the race at number 17 in 33:34.
Feehrer’s 73 year old father, Feehrer Senior, gave his son a run for his money on the walk category, rapidly walking past the finish line with the help of a walking cane that he did not seem to use much.
“I just had to finish this to support my son,” said the elder Feehrer.
With runners like Jeffrey Miller and Abby Miller coming from as far as New Jersey for the race, the Grace race is rapidly becoming a big hit for many people, young and old.
Many teenagers took part in the race with 10 year old Liam Henderson from Billerica being the youngest athlete to finish. Several other 11- year old teens were among those who completed the race, with the oldest athlete being 73 years.
The event was followed by refreshments and a prize giving ceremony held at the Grace Community church hall in Billerica.According to Rachel Barrow, who assisted in providing refreshments to the runners and fans, everyone seemed eager to participate in the race in order to help a good cause.
Barrow extensively interviewed many runners who according to her had good things to say about the race.
Barrow said that a 72 year old woman, Miss Shirley, who with the enthusiasm of a teenager, finished the race in less than 40 minutes last year hoped to do the same this year. What motivates her to move so fast? “I have a burden for the orphans in Kenya.” When the race was over, Miss Shirley said that she was grateful she could participate at her age, adding “I praise God I have I am health to do so.”
An 11 year old Korean girl Elizabeth Kim, whose father attends the Grace church, said that she signed up for the race on the same day because she wanted to help other kids.
Competitive even at old age- an elderly man walks rapidly towards the finish line at the 5 mile 2009 Annual Grace Race
Kim’s father, Young M. Kim, said that “as Christian brothers and sisters, we work together. We bear each other’s burdens and so many people from the Korean church ran with us”.
Determined to complete the race against all odds, Rev. Jeremiah Githere, pastor of the Grace International community church, an affiliate of the main Grace church came in at number 141, and clocking 1:14:35 for the 5 mile race. Rev. Githere said that the goal was to finish the race and help contribute money, even though he was among the last to finish.
“This is very important to me,” said Rev. Githere, who is a son in Law to Bishop Kimemia, who oversees the project construction in Kenya.
“The foundation for the orphanage is done.The fencing around the land was already finished before the 2009 race, so the money we raised today will go a long way to specifically fund the construction of the boys and girls dormitories,” added the pastor.
In the end, Pastor Rob from Grace church praised the Grace race organizers for a good job well done. He said that it was a dream come true for those who began to dream and asking themselves “is it possible that 80 small growing children can be educated, fed, cared for even though they have no parents?”
Providing a fitting answer to Pastor Rob's question, 11 year old Nate Feehrer, the son the Grace Race‘s president, said that he was inspired to run by his dad. He then trained with him and was able to finish at number 69, completing three generations of the Feehrer family to successfully run and complete in the same race.
However, the young Feehrer was concerned about people who missed the opportunity to run out of fear of not placing well. To them, he had a word of encouragement. “If you can run it, run it because even if you don’t get the first place, you’ll know you helped someone.”
Rev. Jeremiah Githere , pastor of the Grace International community church, a Kenyan community church in Cgelmsford ( now relocated to Lowell) , during the prize giving ceremony after the 2009 annual Grace Race
As the event came to a conclusion, organizers announced that The 7th Annual
Grace Race will atke place on Oct. 9th 2010.
"We would appreciate if runners and walkers can register
online at www.gracerace.org and print out a pledge sheet there", said John Feehrer, the president of the race.
"We encourage every participant
to gather pledges from family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers to help us raise more money
and complete the project", he added.
Willing donors can can also donate online
through the web site.
According to the organizers, all proceeds from this year's event will fund the purchase of
furniture for the dorms, kitchen and dining areas, as well as the administrative wing.
Money that will be raised in 2010 will
fund the construction of Phase 2 of the project, which includes the classrooms and vocational training
rooms, where orphans will learn professional skills such as carpentry, electrical and plumbing,
welding, tailoring, agriculture, masonry, and computers/IT.
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