On Porters Race

This article appeared in ULENDO - Air Malawi's Inflight Magazine
The tenth time racing in the mountain
by Hastings Maloya

Some ten years ago it was an event not worth noticing. It wasn’t an event that would attract the interest of a cabinet minister. It wasn’t an event that would make one travel all the way from Europe to participate. Ten years down the line, it is an event that everyone would want to be part of be associated with. Yes you are not wrong, thus the Mount Mulanje Porters Race, Malawi’s only extreme sport.

Originally, the Porters Race was a competition limited to porters and guides (who escort tourists up the mountain). Later it became an annual event attracting any interested runner and over the years it has become a big event through which Malawi has produced reputable athletes. It’s a Race whose participants prove not only strong but that they have a passion for natural beauty apart from looking for honours. And the 2006 Race was not just a race, but a remarkable one attracting 438 runners out of which 148 were female and 28 were foreigners.

News about this race was known from January when notices flew all over and it sounded like a long distance to get to July 15. The runners waited patiently looking forward to the date while the organisers were putting in everything to make sure that the event is a success. Sponsors were also looking forward with great anticipation to the event.

It was a beautiful Saturday morning and the weather was cool. People around Likhubula Forest Office, venue for the race woke up as early as 4’oclock in the morning looking forward to what tuned out to be an outstanding occasion. At exactly 6 o’clock, the Minister of Information and Tourism, Hon Patricia Kaliyati was already at the venue, signs of something good to come! Joined by her my ministry officials and members of parliament for Mulanje Pasani and Mulanje South, Hon Ebbie Mathanda and Ina Mezalumo respectively, the Minister was there clad in the running beep and ready for the big race.

But, would she and the other distinguished guests, make it into the mountain?

No, it had to take the masters of the trade to do it. The 25km race, which is open to all interested male and female athletes or runners above eighteen years of age and who feel fit enough to run in a rocky and hazardous route into the mountains, starts at Likhubula Forest Office. The runners trek to Chambe Plateau about 2500m above see level before proceeding via the plateau to Lichenya Plateau and back to Likhubula.

So the Honourable Minister only had to be on the starting line-up in an effort to give courage and morale to the runners and she did it very well! She saw the runners off and in less than three hours, we saw the winners coming back finishing a distance that would take one over 16 hours on a normal walk.

Malawi’s renowned athletes Francis Khanje and his female counterpart currently the junior SADC athlete’s champion Tereza Master carried the day during the gruesome race in the male and female category respectively.

Twenty-two year old Khanje crossed the finishing line after 2 hours 17 minutes to claim the first position but failed to beat the standing record of 2hours 12minutes set by Byson Willy who had won the race for three consecutive years. It wasn’t a good year for Willy this time round as he came out on position four.

In the female category Master proved to be the fastest female runner in the past 10 years when she finished after 2 hours 49 minutes making it an all time record for a female runner. The previous record was 3 hours and 11 minutes

Both Khanje and Master went away with K20 000 each, certificates and beautiful trophies courtesy of NBS Bank, Malawi’s caring bank. The Bank also honoured winners for the second and third positions for both categories with MK15, 000 and MK10, 000 respectively.

Charles Musowa maintained the second position, which he won last year and was trailed by Paul Sitima. Nancy Matanda and Mwandida Mpandawawo were the proud holders of the second and third positions in the female category.

“I trained hard. The pain in me was that Willy had won this race three consecutive years. There was need to stop him. I am happy I have done it,” said Khanje with smiles. And Master said, “I am excited. I have conquered the mountain and this is a warning to all female runners in Malawi.”

Impressed with the whole event, Minister Kaliyati said the Porters’ Race has a capacity to put Malawi on the international map and encouraged the organisers to put in more efforts in future. She promised her Ministry’s support towards organisation of the race.

“My ministry is currently working on strategies of how tourism products can be diversified through cultural activities and sports. I am very hopeful that as we move towards the 2010 World Cup which will be host by South Africa, Malawi will have strategically positioned herself as a major sporting tourism destination,” said the Minister.

The 2006 Porters Race enjoyed the proud sponsorship of NBS Bank, Rab Processors Malawi Limited, Kingfisher Associates, Population Service International (PSI), Bowler Beverages, Dispatch Newspaper, Dairibord Malawi, Arkay Plastics and Multochoice Malawi..

Mount Mulanje with its Sapitwa Peak standing over 3,000 metres above sea level is not only the highest mountain but also the most impressive massif in the south-eastern African region. Situated to the south east of Malawi, to the border with Mozambique, Mulanje Mountain has attracted attention of researchers and tourists from different parts of the world. Mulanje Mountain and its forest reserve ranks high in terms of terrestrial biodiversity richness in Malawi. Globally it is an ecological site. Mulanje Mountain is also a home to Malawi’s national tree, Mulanje Cedar (Widdringtonia Whytei).

The massif, covering an area of 250,000 hectares and shared by Mulanje and Phalombe districts, has a very rich and stunning forest reserve, which is a home to a rich and diverse endemic plant and animal species. The forests and woodlands are vital for watershed protection and is the catchment of headwaters for nine strong rivers in the two districts. The mountain also represents an important source of resources like firewood, grass (for thatching), water, timber, animals, and fruits. Close to a million people have their livelihood dependent on resources from the Mountain and the Forest Reserve. To underscore the importance on this resource, the government of Malawi gazetted Mulanje Mountain Forest Reserve as a protected area in 1927.