KidsDash 2009

Kids Dash 2009 was a significant event in last year's calendar.

Significant because it marked the end of my 6-month break from office work. And even more so because it was the 1st race where WY and WF ran 'independently' whilst R and I watched from amongst supporters lining the route.

We started the morning with breakfast outside. Then R walked the boys to the part of the route near VCH before joining me outside the old Supreme Court building.

Weather that morning was good. A little breezy and not too sunny (yet). Many supporters stood around, armed with cameras big and small. Everyone seemed to be in a cheery mood.

R and I waited for a long, long time before we heard the emcees announce that the participants for the Kids Dash had been flagged off. From then, it was an intense neck-craning exercise as we tried hard to spot WY and WF amongst the many runners on the road.

We waited and waited, then suddenly, we spotted WY! Can you see him? I cheered loudly but I am sure he didn't hear me. He was focussed on his run/jog.

After WY ran out of our sight, it was another 10-15 minute wait before we spotted WF on the road. The little boy was, for the first time since we started taking part in KidsDash several years ago, running all by himself! R and I are so proud of him!



WF saw us amongst the crowd and waved hard at us, too! We must have waved about 100+ times in those 10 seconds or so.

Our brisk walk to the Finish Line after that was a headache. R and I found that all the various sections of the street which had remained open for access in previous years' events, were now closed. So we had no choice but to make big detour around 3-quarters of St Andrew's Cathedral's boundary perimeter in order to get to the Finish Line. And we had to dash about and manouver carefully in case we knocked into any of those sweaty but jubilant marathoners who had finished their race and who were roaming about.

When we eventually met up with WY and WF, they were all smiles and grins. WF, especially, was so proud that he hadn't needed WY's company for the race. WY told us that the ushers had organised the Kids Dash participants according to their age group, so he had no chance to run along with WF. But it worked out fine, afterall.

We took a leisurely stroll back to the car in Clark Quay and then went home for our showers.



To our surpise, the organisers sent us an email after the event to invite us to purchase WF's photographs that their official photographer had captured. We did, of course, even though R initially baulked at their price. I think the photos are worth every cent paid.