Happy holidays to all! I hope you’re all having a wonderful festive season, and still staying healthy and active despite all the necessary indulgences 🙂
Our next run is on New Year’s Day, a perfect way to kickstart the new year! We will be at Ngong Road Forest Sanctuary, on Ngong Road. Come and start the new year in style! Full details in the Starting Line: https://sway.office.com/VFtzJodJCOb8neyH?ref=Link
Kili Marathon
Also a friendly reminder to register for Kilimanjaro Marathon 2022 – early bird slots are open. We are hoping to coordinate travel and accommodation as a club, though this is subject to it being considered safe and prudent to travel given the COVID situation in both Kenya and Tanzania: https://www.kilimanjaromarathon.com/2022-entries/
Dear Swaras, What a great run we had from Arboretum in Kileleshwa! Thanks to all who showed up and brought festive cheer and running legs. Remember to keep active and safe this holiday season, we want you back on the trails in January! Our last run of the year is in Karura Forest, and because the Trail Fox is getting a well deserved day off, we encourage you all to use the signposted trails, on both the Karura Forest side and the Sigiria Forest side (just across the road on Limuru Road from the main entrance). There are marked trails of between 5,10 and 15km, so have some fun and make your own run! Be sure to post your running photos this holiday season on the Whatsapp group, or tag us on Facebook or Instagram. See some photos from Saturday in the Starting Line: https://sway.office.com/a45zk5mrT7flMgnD?ref=Link
If you would like to show your appreciation to the Trail Fox (Benjamin Chikani) you can send a holiday contribution to the Treasurer and follow up with an SMS saying it’s for the Trail Fox. Deadline for this is end of Wednesday 22nd December.
Just in case you missed it, the mysterious Urban Swaras Newsletter Editor is calling out for articles, thought pieces, photo narratives, and anything else you might have to offer for the next edition of the newsletter!
We would like to hear it all–the good, the bad, the ugly. Look, we don’t discriminate, so any story is welcome. It would be great to hear from you before Christmas through usrc.editor@gmail.com.
Kili Marathon
Also a friendly reminder to register for Kilimanjaro Marathon 2022 – early bird slots are open. We are hoping to coordinate travel and accommodation as a club, though this is subject to it being considered safe and prudent to travel given the COVID situation in both Kenya and Tanzania: https://www.kilimanjaromarathon.com/2022-entries/
This Saturday we had absolutely perfect running weather for our Ambo Gardens run – cloudy sky, smatterings of drizzle, ending in a gloriously sunny day to enjoy the lovely gardens in the venue’s name! Rumour has it some Swaras didn’t want to leave weeeell after the run was over and done with 😉 A perfect urban run it was, crossing some major roads to find quiet residential areas that many of us never even knew existed. Well done as always to our Trail Fox Benja for marking such splendid trails, and for finishing the year as strongly as he started it! If you would like to show your appreciation to the Trail Fox (Benjamin Chikani) you can send a holiday contribution to the Treasurer and follow up with an SMS saying it’s for the Trail Fox. See some photo highlights from Ambo Gardens in the Starting Line: https://sway.office.com/AOdtI0IHgVzj8y5w?ref=Link
This coming Saturday we will be running from Arboretum, for our penultimate run of the year. Please note that for the month of December we will be having town runs only (urban runs). Find full details in the Starting Line: https://sway.office.com/AOdtI0IHgVzj8y5w?ref=Link
Just in case you missed it, the mysterious Urban Swaras Newsletter Editor is calling out for articles, thought pieces, photo narratives, and anything else you might have to offer for the next edition of the newsletter! Find their message below.
So here’s the deal: the year is almost over, and we are dying to hear about your running exploits (not necessarily from this year alone).
Did you fall off the wagon? Do tell!
Did you recently pick up running? Oooh, this is exciting; please tell us how it’s going.
Have you smashed any PBs? Please indulge us.
Do you have any running woes? You know, we are human too, let’s share the sufferation.
New Swaras, how was your first run with us?
We know runners are a crazy bunch, and no challenge is off-limits. Which ones have you done/are you currently on?
We’d also love to hear about international runs in this Covid era.
As always, we adore before and after stories; please send them through.
We would like to hear it all–the good, the bad, the ugly. Look, we don’t discriminate, so any story is welcome. It would be great to hear from you before Christmas through usrc.editor@gmail.com.
Saturday was a BIG day for the Urban Swaras Running Club. We descended on ?iBury Lounge as the Friday night revelers were leaving, and we had a contingency that stayed until the next morning! What happened in between can be seen on the photo highlights. in the Starting Line (https://sway.office.com/sUwGowFmwwHeMuPu?ref=Link)
We had a 10, 15, and 20km run for all (members and guests) followed by a copious breakfast, then the AGM! It took place over more than two hours, with new motions passed, new officials and CRE members voted in, and a celebration with not one but TWO delicious cakes. We then stuck around for lunch and socialising, and the rest is only for those that were in attendance 😉
The new officials and CRE are:
Ajaa Olubayi – Chairman
Loice Mbogo -Trail Queen
Claire Baker – Secretary
Davis Munene – Treasurer
CRE:
Joshua Cheruiyot
Joseph Masika
Shem Kiptoon
Joseph Masika
Michael Nawari
Ngatia Maina
Vivienne Ayuma
George Rutto
A huge well done to all of them, and to all members who brought the club to new heights in 2021!
On a more personal note, thank you, from me, and from all the CRE and Officials, for your support and confidence in us to run this club that is so important to so many of us. Thank you! Here’s two two great years for the club and for all of us.
This coming Saturday we will be running from Ambo Gardens, in Lavington. Please note that for the month of December we will be having town runs only (urban runs). Find full details in the Starting Line: https://sway.office.com/sUwGowFmwwHeMuPu?ref=Link
To paraphrase the outpourings of love and admiration for this weekend’s Aberdare Patron’s Run: it was bloomin’ amazing. Those brave enough to confront the hills of the Aberdares, and tackle tea plantations, rivers, field upon field, and trail upon trail, were rewarded with marvellous views of the peaks of this spectacular mountain range, and with running camaraderie at its best. Well done to all who ran, thank you to James Wahome aka Patron for bringing this run to the club, and to our Trail Queen Loice Mbogo, and Trail Fox Benja Chikani, who scouted and marked such a spectacular run. For those who missed, it, be sure to attend the AGM so you can vote for the officials and committee that promise to bring it back next year! See the Starting Line for some photos of the Aberdare Run and for full info on the AGM and elections: https://sway.office.com/ida19LsTCPrDUdeC?ref=Link
Also a huge well done to the Swaras that were running the UTCT in Cape Town this weekend. We had spectacular runs from Victor Kamau, Silvere Mantz, Marieke Geurts, and Julie Wright, and several other amazing Nairobi runners were also there – well done to all! Spot them in the photos in the Starting Line: https://sway.office.com/ida19LsTCPrDUdeC?ref=Link
This Saturday is the long-awaited AGM! Last year we had a virtual AGM on Zoom, and this year we bring back the physical AGM, which will include a review of activities of the club in 2021, a review of 2021 accounts, and elections for the officials and CRE members that will lead the club to even greater running glory for the next two years. There will be an online voting option for those unable to attend for any reason (COVID precautions, otherwise engaged, etc.). Keep an eye out later in the week for details on how to vote remotely if you cannot attend.
The AGM will be held on Saturday 4th December, as previously announced, at iBury Lounge, on Riverside Drive, Westlands. All runners are invited for an urban run of up to 20km, then treated to breakfast by the club, after which the AGM will begin, at 11am, open to active members only (you have until Saturday to make sure your membership is up to date, or you will not be able to attend, vote, nominate, or be eligible for nomination). See Treasurer’s Corner for up-to-date membership list. After the AGM, all members that attended the AGM will be welcome to lunch, on the club! A treat for all after a delightful year of running and club activities. Hope you can all attend! See the Starting Line for full info on who is nominated, and details on the run and how to register (registration is required for both the run and the AGM. You may choose which part of the day to attend if you cannot attend the whole event): https://sway.office.com/ida19LsTCPrDUdeC?ref=Link
Thanks to all who turned up for the Lynton Farm ECOgreen run! A fab time was had by all, and because of us 650 trees were planted! Well done to all who ran and contributed to this cause. The run took us through beautiful tea plantations, rolling hills, and smiles and joy all around! See the Starting Line for photo highlights: https://sway.office.com/7k6BC0pAQHg9VMg0?ref=LinkRemember, nominations are open for the AGM 2021, so you can nominate your next Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and Trail King/Queen as well as the 8 CRE members. Together, they will continue to grow the club for us all so go ahead and nominate now and book out the 4th December for the AGM! Link to nominate here: https://sway.office.com/42AmhAjrokdipFW4?ref=Link Deadline for nominations is this Saturday, 27th November.This is the big weekend, the brand new Aberdare Patron’s run is upon us! if you have not yet booked your accommodation, camping is still available at Aberdare River Cottages for 2,725ksh, to book, call/text Zack +254 721 646 613. Rooms are limited so book now! Otherwise there are rooms at Ranges View a few kilometres away, call/text Peter to book: +254 721 375762This is going to be a big run! We have ultra distances available (up to 50km) on a brand new freshly scouted trail, so end the year on a high with this run, just a week before the AGM. See the Starting Line for full details and to register: https://sway.office.com/7k6BC0pAQHg9VMg0?ref=Link
What a treat this weekend’s run was! Huge thank you and well done to CRE member Michael Nawari for spearheading this brand new run, from The Smith, Rongai. It took us right into the entrails of Rongai, and it was closely followed up by a chest puffing plank challenge back at the hotel. Find some hilarious photos in the Starting Line: https://sway.office.com/Yf9RzHlz2zYNj0aC?ref=Link
Remember, nominations are open for the AGM 2021, so you can nominate your next Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and Trail King/Queen as well as the 8 CRE members. Together, they will continue to grow the club for us all so go ahead and nominate now and book out the 4th December for the AGM! Link to nominate here: https://sway.office.com/42AmhAjrokdipFW4?ref=Link
Looking ahead to the end of the month, be sure to book out the weekend of the 26th-27th November, when we will have the brand spanking new Patron’s Run from Aberdare Cottages. You can get ahead of the game by already booking your accommodation at Aberdare River Cottages. Special Swara room rates are as follows, for half board 2 nights/3 days Friday night and Saturday night (Friday dinner, accommodation, Saturday breakfast, lunch, dinner, accommodation Sunday breakfast):
Single room 11,000ksh
Double/twin room per person 8,500ksh
Triple room per person: 7,000ksh
To book, call/text Zack +254 721 646 613. Rooms are limited so book now!
But first, this week’s run! This Saturday we will be participating in the Lynton Farm ECOgreen Run, at Settler’s View Resort in Kiambu. This is a charity run, organised by our very own Wilson Kaimenyi, and as such there is a 500ksh registration fee that we urge all participants to pay for breakfast and run costs. If you would like to make an extra 500ksh donation to support the cause, we encourage you to do so. See below for full details on this run and to register. Find all the information and links in the Starting Line: https://sway.office.com/Yf9RzHlz2zYNj0aC?ref=Link
Dear Swaras,
From the photos of the run this past weekend from Berra Hotel, you would be forgiven for mistaking the Urban Swaras for a walking club, but that is only testament to the grueling hills that the club offered up on a hot and exciting run. So much elevation, so little time! Well done to all who ran, and the breakfast afterwards was a fantastic opportunity to socialise and reminisce about StanChart2021 and look forward to the final exciting runs of the year! Check out some photo highlights here: https://sway.office.com/5Uw7q6WMv7ck6T6g?ref=Link
Remember, ?nominations are open for the AGM 2021, so you can nominate your next Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and Trail King/Queen as well as the 8 CRE members. Together, they will continue to grow the club for us all so go ahead and nominate now and book out the 4th December for the AGM! Link to nominate here: https://sway.office.com/42AmhAjrokdipFW4?ref=Lin
Also pencil in the Saturday 20th November for the Lynnton Farm Ecogreen Run, which will also have a worthwhile charity component. You can also book out the weekend of the 26th November, when we will have the brand spanking new Patron’s Run from Aberdare Cottages. The final scouting run for that happened this weekend, and let me tell you, this is one you don’t want to miss! More information on accommodation, distances, etc. next week. You can find the full calendar of runs here at any time to plan your weekends: https://urbanswaras.co.ke/calendar/
This Saturday we will be running from The Smith Hotel, Rongai. This is a new run, and our very own CRE member Michael Nawari brought it to the club as a new addition to the calendar. If you have a run to suggest or have found a hidden trail, contact us! clairesimonebaker@gmail.com. See the Starting Line for full details on this run and to register: https://sway.office.com/5Uw7q6WMv7ck6T6g?ref=Link
Where to start!? So much happened this weekend! First up we had the Swara virtual Stan Chart run, where we had yellow t shirts invading the Southern Bypass the day before the official marathon. We had people covering distances from 5km to 42km, and with great support from our Trail Queen and Trail Fox, on hand with water and fruits. Well done to all of you! A congratulatory message from Joyce Kibe, Swara member and Head of Corporate Affairs at Standard Charted Bank topped things off, and it was such a pleasure to see so many Swaras filling the Simba Saloon at Carnivore on a grey Saturday morning. See some photo highlights in the Starting Line: https://sway.office.com/rjdNUMByFJQkDmR1?ref=Link
Next it was on to the Sunday Stan Chart physical Marathon. Almost 70 Swaras were representing the club in 10km, 21km, 42km, and relay disciplines, and everyone went into it with a smiley, excited disposition. Little did we know that we would set the tarmac on fire with PBs across the distances, smashing relay teams coming top 10, unbounded support to other runners, from both the runners and from our amazing support team who did a fantastic job handing out supplies and cheering on ALL runners, not just Swaras! I know I speak for us all when I say it was a weekend that made me proud to be a Swara! See some photo highlights in the Starting Line: https://sway.office.com/rjdNUMByFJQkDmR1?ref=Link
Congratulations to all who ran – no matter what your time or your outcome, so long as you did yourself proud and you are still excited about running, that is a win in my books! If you have a story to tell, about this marathon, or any of your training runs, exciting marathons of yesteryear, or running experiences, you can reach out to the Swara newsletter editor at any time: usrc.editor@gmail.com
Now on to next week’s run!
We will be running from Berra Hotel in Ngong this coming Saturday, venturing into Kimuka, and so there will be guaranteed trail and hills, just how we like them 🙂 Please note, will be avoiding any forested areas or areas that are known to be of high risk. See Starting Line for details and to register: https://sway.office.com/rjdNUMByFJQkDmR1?ref=Link
Also, we can start getting excited about the club AGM coming up in just a few weeks! Look out for a separate communication on that hitting your inboxes soon.
What’s the one thing that we should all never lose? No, not our Garmin charger, but hope! Last week’s run at Hope Retreat Centre reminded us of this 🙂 And as we gear up for the Stan Chart Nairobi Marathon this weekend, after a one-year COVID-induced hiatus, hope is the best thing to carry you into the new week! Find below some important details for the physical and virtual runs. Big thanks to George Rutto, who in addition to bringing back a phenomenal PB from Chicago marathon, also brought us all back some American chocolates as a pre-run treat on Saturday! See some photo highlights in the Starting Line: https://sway.office.com/CVjtakqKJMwjYo2G?ref=Link
This Saturday we are hosting our very own Swara Stan Chart run! We will be running from Carnivore, in Langata, and following the official physical marathon route, along the Southern Bypass! So this means that all you who registered for the virtual run can still get almost the same experience as the physical marathon runners 🙂 This run will be FREE for guests, so long as you are registered for the Stan Chart virtual marathon (we will ask for proof on the day, either the email, or the t shirt https://www.nairobimarathon.com/), but also open to those who have not registered via Stan Chart – it is still a regular (albeit special) club run.
The distances will be 5, 10, 21, and 42km. Breakfast is by advance registration and payment only, so please ensure you register using the Google Form in the Starting Line and pay by Thursday 28th October to avoid disappointment. See full details in the Starting Line! https://sway.office.com/CVjtakqKJMwjYo2G?ref=Link
Those registered for the physical marathon on Sunday:
COVID vaccination/test proof: you must send to me in advance proof of at least first dose of COVID vaccine, or a negative COVID test from no more than 72 hours before the marathon. If you do not send before end of today (Monday 25th) you will also be required to carry proof of this with you on the day. Without this, you will not be able to collect your kit or take part in the marathon.
Start times: find below the start times for the various distances.
6:50 am – 21km Wheel Chair Race
7:00 am – 21km
7:15am – 42km
7:30 am – Corporate Relay
8:00 am – 10km
Route map: find the route map attached in the Starting Line, with venue floor plan. Be sure to be at Carnivore Grounds in advance of your start time, especially if you have not yet presented proof of COVID vaccination/negative test. Bibs will not be available for collection on the day.
Kit collection: Wednesday I will be stationed at Hill Park Hotel, off Bunyala Road in Upper Hill, from 6am to 6pm so you can come and collect your kits or send someone to collect on your behalf no problem. I will be working on my laptop by the pool living a life of luxury (so ask for the pool and you’ll find me)
Saturday the remaining kits will be at the Swara run at Carnivore so you can also collect then. The run will be 5, 10, 21 and 42km along the actual physical marathon route so a great chance to recce for the Sunday!
Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday I will be at my house in Embakasi for at least part of the day and kits can be collected from there as a final resort. Please message me directly for this (clairesimonebaker@gmail.com). Also inbox me for any questions not answered here.
Parking: parking will be at the Uchumi on Langata Link Road, just on the left after turning off Langata Road. Where possible, we recommend carpooling or using public means.
Other race logistics: This will be communicated on the Whatsapp groups, so if you are not on the Whatsapp groups, you can join the Noticeboard (read-only) group here: https://chat.whatsapp.com/LwPTGGOVLcKCuL89faizAV
