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Team Matooke nourishing the love on Valentine’s run
Team Matooke members braved the rain to hit the road. PHOTO/KENNETH WATSALA
What you need to know:
This is the second year running that runners plant trees at the Botanical Gardens on Team Matooke’s monthly Kampala-Entebbe Run. This is to conserve the environment as well as replenish the flowers that that feed the Valentine’s spirit
It is a rainy Sunday morning, just three days to St Valentine’s Day, whose meaning has many accounts but ultimately zeroing down to Valentine’s martyrdom and celebrating love and affection.
Well over 100 runners - male and female - are navigating their way through this rain, dressed in red shirts, the colour synonymous with Valentine’s Day on February 14.
This particular 28km Team Matooke Kampala-Entebbe Run, which starts from Quality Supermarket in Lubowa at 6.30am to Entebbe Cricket Oval every second Sunday of the month, was a touch special at the just ended weekend.
It was a Valentine’s Edition, which tradition started last year with red the theme colour.
As is always the case, runners ran from Lubowa but this time stopped by Entebbe Botanical Gardens to plant trees before proceeding to fanfare at the Cricket Oval.
Month of love
“At the start of this we came together as Team Matooke and thought about what we could do differently in February, the month of love,” explained Team Matooke president Fred Lutaaya.
“So because our run happens every second Sunday of the month, it meant that it would always happen before Valentine’s Day, but it would still be in the Valentine’s week and month.”
Lutaaya added: “So we decided to theme the run around Valentine’s Day, but most importantly plant trees because it is these plants that give us the flowers that we give to our loved ones to express our love and affection.
“That is how we partnered with Entebbe Botanical Gardens and the National Agricultural Research Organisation (Naro) to make the cause a success. Last year we planted 100 trees of different species, and this year 120.”
Run for love, love to run
Long before the tree planting, the long stretch between Lubowa and Entebbe, punctuated by some undulating terrain, was pure fun and love in the ‘rain-filled air’.
“Date a runner - save transport money,” read one of the energising and hilarious posters - perhaps relatable to January and the school fees week survivors - held by a bevy of ‘motivational’ Twitter Running School ladies and crazy-hyped up gentlemen.
The vibe created by this harring/marshal team was enough to break a panting and grimacing face into a sudden smile in between the huffs and puffs.
Actually some runners almost failed to proceed from Kisubi hydration point because this had the highest concentration of heartstopping, beautiful and extremely encouraging marshals.
"We (this writer was one of the runners) proceeded running, anyway, with more poster messages such as “people who sweat together stay together,” and “Romeo & Juliet had drama, we have stamina” helping us to the finish line.
The red roses handed out to every finisher - gentleman to lady, lady to gentleman - as they docked at the Oval perfectly embodied the true spirit of a Valentine’s Run well run.
