Run Forrest!

So a while back - like 5 months ago - I registered for the Moscow International Peace Marathon (the 10k). At the time, I was running at the gym sort of regularly and felt good about running a 10k. Then, - I wont make up excuses - the running got spotty at best, my nanny took another job, blah blah, then the summer, where I ran, like, uhm 3 times? Anywho - I decided I would not run the 10k after all.

After chatting with some friends, we decided, what the heck, we would try it.

So, on Sat I met up with friends in the back room of some swim complex, picked up my number, a chip, and a map and was ready for my first run. I was just happy I did not have to supply a medical release form or my passport (which is getting a new visa, so I dont actually have it at the moment) Sun morning, got up, walked over to Red Square, met up with my pals, took some photos and headed to the starting line. Let me just say that in addition to really not training for the run, it was also my first time running outside. like, not on a treadmill. So I was nervous.

So - hundreds and hundreds of people gathered at St Basils, shot went off and we took off. What fun! So many people. So many older people - like in their 80s! So many kids! Such a diverse crowd! We made a loop, where half the people cut through a park (?) instead of following the course, then made our way to the road along the river.

Seriously, it was amazing running along the river - past the Kremlin, past Christ the Savior, past Gorky Park, loop around then back.

If you are going to run 10k in Moscow - I cant think of a more magnificent route! It was fabulous!

So there is the good.

Now for the Bad -

the site advertised water stations every 2.5km. As I ran along, didnt see anything until around 5k - but they werent handing them out - just a person standing next to some unopened boxes I assumed were water. So I chugged on, at 7k, there was another station handing out water - but apparently only to people running the full marathon (they had black numbers, we had red). OK. So on I ran, I saw the sign for the 10k mark, a big red balloon arch up ahead - yeah I made it!! I pulled my last reserves and sprinted toward the end. . . but wait - why were people still running? no one stopped . . . ok, so I kept on . . .followed the loop around and up the hill to the"real" end (about 200 meters past the 10k mark). Ran through the finish where we were immediately stopped so the chips could be removed from our shoes - kinda weird running hard for 10k, then just stopping - anyway, followed the line of finishers through a gate expecting my medal and tshirt (as the site where I registered indicated we would get)- but instead was given a plastic cup of hot tea (?), told no tshirts and no medals. hmm. So I went back to watch my friends finish. WE all regrouped and went in search of some medals (some people were walking around with them so they had to be somewhere!). I was standing with a crowd and the guy in front of me was talking to a race volunteer/official - he asked in English "where are the Medals? She said in Russian - no more medals! - no more! people around me groan - "how Russian!" "Typical" - Heck, that is what I thought - then the guy gets in the womans face - "you suck!" he yells. yikes - how American, I think.

So, we take a few "after" photos. Frankly I am thirsty so decide to head home to get a drink of water.

I get home and I feeling really good. I really enjoyed the run, felt good after, enjoyed the sights - both cultural and, well, people watching. a few people running barefoot - one guy running with a huge sack of something - flour? - on his shoulders - skimpy running outfits - people running in jeans - pushing strollers - everything. between songs on my ipod it was interesting to hear the pounding of so many people feet. I was disappointed in not getting a shirt or medal, but I have my bib and my friend took pictures, so all in all it was good. I told Leo I would definitely run another 10k - I just still cant get over how much fun I had.

believe me, I know - fun and running are not words I typically put together.

OK, so now the ugly.

So today I get an email from one of my friends I did the run with. After I left they saw someone carrying boxes of medals into a tent. They see some people go into the tent and emerge with medals. So they (my three women friends - who are nice, sweet, and not intimidating at all) go in and ask in their simple russian - may we have a medal. They are told "no medal for you!" my friend who speaks the most russian, asks again (as more boxes of medals are brought in) - they are told the medals are for marathoners - not for people who ran the 10k. Then they are told to look through a garbage can if they want a medal (!). They stood there a minute more to see if other people were getting medals, and a male race worker approached my friend, waved a gun at her and told her she better leave fast! She was shocked, but realizing she had her camera took pictures of him with the gun! After they left, when the shock wore off a bit she realized that it was probably the starter pistol her waved at her. She left the race disappointed and deflated - her sense of accomplishment defeated. I am so sad for her.

she has a great attitude and instead of seeing it as a "russian" thing, is looking at it as a poorly organized isolated incident.

Unfortunately things like this feed into the stereotypes.

I would like to take Russia by the hand and gently say "help me help you Russia! Lets work a little harder to beat the stereotypes!"

Well, so much for a peace run.

She wrote a letter with her complaints to the organizers and a few friends and I left "feedback" on the website regarding the lack of water, lack of medals and tshirts as promised, and threat of violence.

I hope the read it and do a better job next year.