Kilimanjaro marathon & climb in support of a great cause

This morning's final run before the marathon gave me a chance to get a somewhat used to the terrain and conditions I'll encounter.

I chose part of the uphill section near the stadium where the marathon starts. The route heads into Moshi initially before coming past the stadium for the uphill bit. I did it at a time of the day I'll likely be running that section (around 10am).

It was already hot and the traffic (which won't be an issue on marathon day) made it more dangerous than it should have been. There are no sidewalks to speak of and the road is the best running surface. I ran 5km up, initially comfortably, but feeling the heat especially towards the end. The downhill part was easier, but not by as much as I'd hoped. It's certainly going to be tough on the day.

It is somewhat surreal running with Mt Kilimanjaro as the backdrop. The local runners were just starting their training run up as I was coming down, most of them looking much more comfortable than me.

The photo was taken on the marathon finish line which they are busy constructing. Mt Kilimanjaro is in the background.

Now it's resting time and prepping for the big run the day after tomorrow and the climb after.