Two Oceans.

So, my pal whom hiking gifted me has become a runner. I have been running for half my life. Not sure running towards what or from what hehe, but it’s the sport I have enjoyed the longest. In fact, as far as first loves in sports go, running was the first, followed by golf and hiking in that order. My buddy took up hiking a few years ago and has taken up running over the last year or so. He’s a serious guy living a serious life, mpaka I now feel like the teacher has become the student. I’ll explain.

We have hiked a couple of times together, and even summited Mount Kenya in 2023. He went on to climb Mount Meru last year with a few of our other hiking friends. Sadly, I missed that one. Earlier this year, he randomly suggested that I consider running in my first marathon outside of Kenya—the Two Oceans Marathon in Cape Town. Initially, I thought it was a long shot and that I would turn it down. But the idea lingered, and one evening at home, I decided to apply to run. I received a response a few days later confirming my registration. And just like that, I had registered to run a marathon majuu.

I’ve never been to Cape Town, so that was a huge motivation. Secondly, I thought this would be a good personal retreat/AGM. I blocked off several days and started putting mpangos in place to go. Folks, sometimes it’s good to start climbing the tree from the top. First, confirm your attendance and commit, then plan how to honour that commitment. That was the case here.

I went back to my buddy and confirmed that I would go, and he quickly gave me a running schedule to help me prepare. Now you see how the student has overtaken the teacher by far, hehe. I prepared for the race for several weeks, hoping to achieve a personal best in the half-marathon. Last Wednesday, I jumped on a flight. The weather in South Africa is good right now; that was a plus, as I don’t do cold well.

KQ was on time, and the flight was good. Cape Town was sunny; I was glad to be in this place I’d heard so much about. The plan was to spend a couple of days sightseeing both before and after the marathon. Now I see why my friends love Cape Town. The drive along Chapman’s Peak by the sea is a spiritual experience. I was convinced that God is the perfect architect. Taking the cable cars up Table Mountain was a marvel. It’s like Table Mountain, and the other high rock outcrops—I was told they are called the 12 Apostles—stand guard over the city in all directions. I noticed a huge rock wall whichever way I turned. Photography opportunities are everywhere. Cape Town is a photographer’s paradise.

On the morning of the run, I was a bit nervous, as it was my first time running outside of Kenya. I woke up every hour to check the time, lest I oversleep and get disqualified. I arrived at the start line at 5 AM. It was still dark, but the place was buzzing with runners. I must say, I was impressed with the level of organisation at this marathon, where more than 17,000 runners competed in the half-marathon alone. I have some ideas that, if implemented back home, could help us improve. We were categorised into batches based on the times we provided during registration, which were then flagged off every two minutes. This eliminated the congestion of thousands of people starting at the same time—a situation that could easily result in injuries.

When my batch (K) was flagged off, we went running through neighbourhoods in the city. I settled into my zone and pace, feeling really good to be there. This was like a goal that 2026 had set for me, as I never envisioned myself running in an international marathon this year.

I had printed a running shirt proudly displaying that I am Kenyan, and even had a Kenyan flag bandana to wear. We could say I was our running ambassador. I really wanted to achieve my target of running under two hours, so I pushed myself kiasi. After one hour, I had reached the 10-kilometre mark, which was about halfway. I forgot to take the 300-meter elevation into account, so some of the steep slopes really ate into my legs.

The crowds cheering us along the roadside gave us a much-needed boost to keep going. I really liked their vibe and support. They came out onto the streets just to cheer us on. Some went further, bringing fruits and drinks for the runners from their homes. How sweet. I remember one woman holding a placard that read: “You think your legs are tired? My arms are exhausted holding up this banner just for you, so keep running.” It was something to that effect. I smiled and decided to maintain the pace. I ended up in position 4776 out of over 15000 who participated. And in the men 50 – 59 years age category, I was in position 411 out of 3023 guys my age. Not a shabby finish for a first attempt, ama? hehe

While running, I was so delighted at how life can surprise us sometimes. Maybe we shouldn’t overthink and over-plan everything. My happiness index shot up immensely on those streets of Cape Town, amidst the breathtaking views. I chose to spend my money on experiences that create memories, which appreciate over time. A pal told me that at eighty, I would recall running in Cape Town and be glad that I did it. What memories are you buying folks? Choose carefully, for they make good memory investments in later years. 

Folks, in the second half of life—as we seek to live and leave a legacy—may we not forget to do the things that make us feel alive, including taking detours that we had not anticipated, some influenced by a friend, like in my case here. Collecting memories like these will keep us going when the going gets tough. Life is beautiful, and travel proves it. I needed this trip to view my glass as half-full, rather than half-empty. The half-marathon did that for me, even though I missed my sub-two-hour goal by fifteen minutes.

Thank you, CT. You’ve been good to me. I see myself coming back next year.