Race to The Top. (Quite Literally)
A couple of weeks after moving to Mulanje, southern Malawi, I excitedly found out that the famous Porters’ Race was coming up. This is a race where locals as well as foreigners run up the Mulanje massif and back down again, in a 22km long circuit with a 2000m+ climb. Of course. Isn’t that everyone’s idea of a chilled Sunday?
When I got there, it was absolute chaos. Far from being an orderly sports event, this was Malawi style at its highest. Before you even got to looking onto the Finishing Line, you had to negotiate your way through tens of people selling food, drinks, souvenirs. You could easily be distracted by the delicious smells of the food stands, selling typical Malawian meals such as nsima with vegetables, chicken or beans; or more adventurous “overseas” menus made of sausage rolls, chicken or vegetable pies and even lasagna! Needless to say I didn’t have that.
One of the locals racing was Edson Kumwamba — his surname means Heaven in local language, so it’s only fitting he should be reaching for the sky. Originally from Nchathu village at the feet of the mountain, Edson was taken to Porters’ Race by his mother aged nine. Since then, he was hooked. He started running after the men…
