August 20
Hello everyone!
I like running. Good for my body, good for my mind, and a great way for me to explore new places. Often it’s meandering along my own route. Occasionally, however, I will participate in the big jamboree of a mass race. This post is about my first one in El Salvador.
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| One very wet Welshman |
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| The start of the G15 night race |
I have been looking for running comrades since arriving two weeks ago, and even before that online. There are running groups but, for various reasons, I haven’t been able to join one yet. I haven’t actually done much running since starting work, owing to a lack of time.
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| When I have a car, I will probably join this group each Wednesday evening |
My runs in the Parque de Bicentenario had hinted at a running culture. Further research took me to a website listing races in the country. There was a race coming up very soon which started in Santa Tecla. A night run, 15 kilometres, through my new home. Perfect!
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| A sign in the park |
Even with the language barrier, sign-up was easy enough. I was informed in a subsequent email that I needed to collect stuff, such as my bib and chip, from the shopping centre near the start. This was actually the shopping centre next to the hotel I had stayed in for the first week.
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| English language use: less than limited |
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| My bib and very cool shirt |
I asked about a map so I would know where to go. I wasn’t getting one. They assured me that there would be signs. Being able to do much of this conversation without Google Translate made me feel content with my Spanish progress.
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| This was subsequently published. It didn't help me. |
To Saturday then, and a long day of doing nothing and avoiding what everyone was doing (drinking) before arriving at the Multiplaza shopping complex just after 8pm. The race was starting at 9pm, and a few people had already arrived to this sell-out event.
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| Gatorade sponsor the race, hence the G in G15 |
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| Not looking like a G |
The air temperature was still pretty warm, a feature of life in the tropics. A bit of wind was beginning to blow and there was lightning far beyond the volcano, but nothing to worry about as I walked up and down the starting area.
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| This bottle didn't stay up for very long... |
Until it did become something to worry about. The temperature suddenly dipped sharply. The thunderous rumbles sounded louder and more ominous. Lightning was illuminating the night sky. Time to take cover in the shopping centre.
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| I had a look around Sears whilst waiting |
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| People rushing back to take cover before the rain broke |
Then, about 30 minutes before the start, it started to rain. Big style.
No announcements were being made aloud. From asking another runner, I learnt that the race had been delayed by 20 minutes…which they had only announced on Twitter. In their defence, probably not a good idea to use the massive outside speaker system when there was lightning streaking around the city.
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| That arch you saw earlier, feeling a bit...deflated |
The rain eased…slightly. Enough to return to the start line, which looked a bit different to how it had an hour before. As if a military regiment had bulldozed its way through. A metal flagpole almost landed on me as I walked around. Even so, at around 9:25pm, we counted down from diez, nueve, ocho…off we go.
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| Apparently the storm happened halfway through the 2019 edition, catching people unawares |
There aren’t many photos. My phone was wrapped up in a Ziploc bag and, understandably, there weren’t many photographers willing to brave the elements. The route itself was signposted and all major roads used were closed on our side. The fact that there was traffic heading in the opposite direction was actually helpful as it lit up the occasionally-potholed path.
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| Not winning a Pulitzer photography prize for this |
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| 5k runners approaching their turning point |
The route itself was fairly uninspiring but this wasn’t the time to be taking in sights and sounds. The sounds were the splashing of puddles and slapping of trainers on the tarmac. The former were incredible streaks of lightning which I often saw moving across the sky, looking like a satellite view of a large river with all its tributaries.
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| Heading back up the hill, I think this is at about 10km |
Twice I actually jumped (and swore) whilst running, owing to the brightness of the lightning being followed almost simultaneously by a prolonged, loud roar of thunder. The crowd soon thinned out - it turns out most people did the 5k - and I was left to my own thoughts. Mainly, these revolved around:
feeling a bit cold;
feeling sorry for the Uber driver that would have to take me home;
marvelling at the resistance of my Ziploc bag, which saved my phone from a watery grave.
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| While daydreaming, the winner was finishing in less than 50 minutes |
With the city being on the edge of a volcanic slope, it wasn’t the flattest of runs. The continuous incline (admittedly there was a long decline as well), driving rain and regular bursts of lightning made this quite a challenging run. I enjoyed the challenge rather than the run itself. I also appreciated the fact that, rather than being a 15km run, I finished having done 13.5km. Brilliant measuring.
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| My Strava map for the G15 |
I don’t enter these events to place highly. I was surprised to find that I came 21st in the entire 15km race. Getting an Uber home took a while, during which time I returned to the Hyatt hotel and spent about five minutes putting myself and my clothes (still on) under the hand dryer.
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| My time was just under 1h 13m |
Organising a night run towards peak rainy season, when you know that it rains heavily pretty much every night, is madness. It is madness, however, that 1,000 people were happy to participate in. I’m glad I did it, and glad I got to run a bit more in El Salvador. The first of many mad runs here, I’m sure.
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| Running through the night! |
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| Very much a before picture - nice and dry... |
Love you all,
Matt
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