This outing is the Bushbaby duathlon in Mukono, near Kampala. Let’s be honest, when Thies (Bike Shop Uganda) told me that a duathlon was happening the following day and that I could hitch a ride to the event with Francis (reddirtuganda.com) I said “sure”, without actually knowing what I was volunteering for. Once home I found, via Wikipedia, that “a duathlon is an athletic event that consists of a running leg, followed by a cycling leg and then another running leg in a format similar to triathlons. An off-road version uses mountain bikes and dirt tracks.”
This is a quick post about how the event. I provide details that include maps and facts as well as links to additional details, photos and videos.
My opinion. The only thing harder than an off-road duathlon is an off-road triathlon;-)
Bushbaby Duathlon Cost: See Event Page
The following day I got my ride to the event (with my mountain bike on the roof of the van) and wandered around getting a sense of the activities and amenities. I had already decided not to participate (I was still recovering from the prior weekend’s MCU ride) and just wanted to do a bit of country cycling. Nothing competitive or complicated.
I was impressed by the organization and format of the event and even more so when I found out that the proceeds would be donated to a local charity.
Once the event got underway, I couldn’t help pulling out my phone and taking some casual shots and short videos before heading off in the opposite direction on my bicycle. Then as the day progressed and I kept crossing paths with the event participants I continued to stop and take shots with my phone.
The route, participants, course marshals and locals made the day super fun and irresistible to camera opportunities. I had a great day of casual riding and shooting and ultimately decided to stitch together my shots to create a 3 minute adventure episode just for the fun of it.
I enjoyed the day and maybe next year I will be a participant…NOT. It was so much fun. Why make it hard? I leave that for the young and very young at heart.
Photos
Watch other videos.
Other Uganda Outings
Check out the Escape from Kamapla post for a summary of Uganda stuff.
Visit the GPS tracks page for a list of GPS tracks that you can download (zipped) for use on your phone. Visit my adventure mobile apps (which include limited mapping and GPS features) or the Android Lotus app for more robust real-time GPS navigation.
Read the Punishment Island, Lake Bunyonyi blog.
Read about Murchison Falls Self-drive safari.
Read about the Nyero Rock Paintings day trip.
Read the Lake Mburo National Park Safari blog.