‘Ugali for champions’ tradition at Boston marathon

Guests at a past Dinner for Champions in Boston, MA. Photo/FILE

What you need to know:

  • Dinner with Champions is a red carpet event packed with song and dance, food and drink.
  • Geoffrey Mutai told the Nation during the dinner that they always look forward to the party because they know they will find ugali.

As the Kenyan elite runners make their way to Boston, many look forward to interacting with their compatriots based in the US and Canada during the ‘Dinner with Champions’ party.

They look forward to taking a break from their daily routine to settle down and enjoy a specially made meal of ugali, sukuma wiki (kales) and a glass of sour milk (mursik) with fellow Kenyans.

Now in its fourth year, Dinner with Champions-- a red carpet event packed with song and dance, food and drink-- is fast becoming a must-go-to event.

TERRORIST ATTACK

“We have seen the numbers grow from year to year and we expect a particularly large turnout this year because of what this year’s marathon represents,” said Mr Wilson Wahome, director of Run with Kenyans, the company that hosts the event.

This year’s marathon will mark the first anniversary since the terrorist attack last year that left two people dead and several hundreds injured.

The general turnout is expected to be one of the largest ever. Organisers expect 36,000 runners, 9,000 more than usual.

One reason for the increase is that the 5,633 runners who were not able to finish the 2013 marathon because of the bombings have been guaranteed entry.

“I’m coming back to finish the mission. Terrorists may have taken my chance last year but they didn’t take away my resolve to finish my race. So, yes, I’m coming back this year to finish what I started,” said Natalie Dyrli of Boston.

Natalie is one of those who didn’t finish the race because of the blast. She is scheduled to make a return this year.

RUNNER'S DELICACY

Also, several runners are participating as part of fundraising efforts for victims in last year's bombing.

With the increase in runners, the 2014 marathon may come close to the current race record of 38,708 runners, set in 1996 for Boston Marathon's 100th anniversary.

In 2014, athletes will be representing every State in the nation and over 90 countries.

Even though the menu during the dinner with champions’ party is always diverse in choice and rich in nutrients, over time, ugali has become the occasion’s delicacy especially for the runners.

In 2011, Geoffrey Mutai told the Nation during the dinner that they always look forward to the party because they know they will find ugali.

“When we are here in the US, we rarely come across Ugali and we miss it so much. The food we eat here can hardly stay in the stomach so love coming here and eating some real food (ugali),” he said.

According to Mr Wahome, the fact that the organisers of the party give prominence to ugali is strategic.

PROMINENT KENYANS

“When they are here in the US, most athletes from Kenya are under very strict dietary restrictions. A lot of the food they are fed is foreign to most of us from Africa and so, the dinner provides an opportunity for them to feast on familiar food,” he said.

Mr Wahome says since the marathon is an energy intensive race, runners need a lot of carbohydrates in their body and ugali is rich in carbohydrates.

This year's Dinner with Champions is set for April 19 at the Back Bay Events Center in Boston.

Among prominent Kenyans expected at the function are former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, award winning movie star Lupita Nyong’o and footballer Daniel Adongo among others. (READ: Raila, Lupita, Adongo to lead Boston marathon fete)

Ugali may be popular with East Africans especially Kenyans however most Americans say they find it ‘tasteless’.

For them, their choice is also diverse including an assortment of salads. For the champs however, on the menu is ugali, sukuma wiki, chapati, beef pilau and chicken curry.

As the count down to the 118th Boston Marathon continues, the tradition of Kenyans celebrating this event in their special way is slowly but surely taking root.

As Mr Wahome puts it, everybody wants to be and feel Kenyan when their elite team is in town.