I’m a spring chicken.
Well, perhaps not me but there will be a spring in the steps, skips and hops ~ some backwards ~ of the 35,000 participants in the
London Marathon on Sunday.
This has got me wondering about the feasibility of a similar event being held here in Jakarta.
Before anyone writes to tell me about Bali half-marathons and the regular runs to the bar by the pseudonymous
Hashers, have a look at the excellent
Living in Indonesia site for where you can play underwater hockey. Eh? Or, if you don’t like the wet, try water skiing in
Tanjung Lesung, West Java (dry season only).
Whatever, the vast majority of sports activities are held on the outskirts of town and we urbanites don’t have much access to open spaces. And if we do make it to Monas or Senayan, we’re liable to get mown down by reckless drivers as has happened recently. If the city government can’t be hashed to pedestrianise the pavements, then why not organise some all-expenses paid trips to London?
Assuming the bureaucrats can’t find the fares in time, other exciting marathons include the North Pole Marathon, which is run in snowshoes and the Inca Trail Marathon - a high-altitude race in the Andes. Both will surely provide an object lesson in how to get something together in this city of “wacky charm” as my good mate
Del described it in his book
Culture Shock – Jakarta.
Better still, how about the
Giant Jumping Rat Marathon in Madagascar held this year on the 10th July in aid of the environment. I’d like to enter several rats from around here.
They’d probably benefit more than the rest of us ever will.
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