The 5th British History Half Marathon

It's been a year since the 4th BHHM (which you can read all about here), but not much has changed in the course of history from the perspective of the rebellion. However, fast forward 161 years, or even just 365 days, and much has changed.  This year we were without leader and founder of the BHHM, Jason Coleman, who, rest his soul, has departed (to Ghana to work).  Like the charge of the British retaking Delhi, we picked up the flag (note cards) and soldiered forward across the battlefield (streets of Delhi).

Laura, Evan, and I agreed that the show must go on and in doing so, formed a collaborative to recreate Jason's run.  The course was a simple copy from last year (though we added a stop and 1km to the route). Jason left his notes on index cards with us but we soon learned they were scribbles of shorthand reminders - the story was in his head.  This forced us to do a little research to complete the picture as the "run" is really a journey between historical stops, each one a major site relating to the British occupation, and subsequent Sepoy mutiny, of 1857. We solicited a few runners to be "hosts" of stops and sights. Some new additions were cloth bibs (with 1857 as the number for all participants along with a photo on them of last year's run), tech t-shirts, and a cyclist to help carry items and take photos (thanks, Rob).   Now, while people registered (we had 30 sign up), I was already up the road, logging miles for the day. Due to the slower pace and frequent stops, I considered this the perfect ultra training - lots of time on my feet in the heat, plus a different pace with intermittent running.  I met the bus at Coronation Park for the beginning of the run.

My role, aside from organizing this thing, was to talk about the memorial, our official starting point.  We learned a bit, took the start picture, and headed through the streets of Delhi, covered with neon shirts and looking more than a little out of place dodging stray dogs and piles of garbage as we worked our way down the increasingly busy streets as the city awakened. The longest stretch in the first half is from the start to our first talking point, Flagstaff Tower, 3 miles in.  We had a large crew that we kept for a good amount of the run.

Kicking off the running with a talk

The full starting group

Through the streets of Delhi

The group at Flagstaff Tower (yoga in the back left)

Zach and Justin wait for others on the road

Runners approach the Mutiny Memorial

The group in front of the Red Fort in Old Delhi

We kept a pretty good group for the next few miles as the stops were very close together.  While it was very warm, we all agreed we caught a break compared to last year where most stops took longer for people to recover and we did our talks in the shade. Our stops included ancient pillars, modern memorials, gates associated with bombings, beheadings, and other exciting and excrutiating facts, as well as the obligatory run through Old Delhi (no van full of goat heads or dead body like last year but still intense nonetheless).

We completed our last stop at the Parliament buildings and visited the newest addition to the run, the Jason Coleman Injury Memorial - sight of the infamous collision of leader and immobile post.

Bernie immortalizing the Jason Coleman Injury Memorial

As per usual, we grouped up again in order to finish together at AES, happy to be done but proud so many people started and finished this event.

Run for a cause

We went up to Mankers, grabbed some food, mimosas and Bloody Mary's were flowing, and the Blind School sent over massage therapists for our recovery.  All in all, a pretty damn good day, but one made even better when you throw on the annual Lip Sync party that night.  Has to go down as the best day of the year for me by far.