So I am finally catching up to the current time here in Macedonia, in regards to this blog. Now that I am finished posting about my vacation, I may as well return the setting to Macedonia.
My travels through Central Europe were limited by my commitment to return to Skopje by May 10 for the Skopje marathon. As readers of this blog know, I did not run the marathon last year due to shin splints. Unfortunately, I did not run the marathon this year for very different reasons.
At around 4AM on Sunday, about 4 hours before the race, I received a text from one of my counterparts. It basically said, "Sorry, but the race has officially been cancelled. Check the news online." The announcement prompted me to share this with other PCVs who were crashing in the same room. It was a major bummer, and we had no idea what to do. But with adrenaline and disappointment already pumping through us, a few of us decided to walk around the neighborhood and try to find alcohol for a morning run. We couldn't find any, since we were in an Albanian neighborhood, so we decided to try to sleep a bit more just as the sun was beginning to rise.
Why was the marathon cancelled? Well, it seemed that there was a "terrorist attack" in nearby Kumanovo. Even weeks after the event occurred, the details are still fishy and not completely clear. But the marathon was cancelled because, first, there were rumors that these terrorists from nearby Kosovo were targeting an attack on the marathon, and second, the day was quickly recognized as a day of mourning for the 8 police officers who lost their lives battling this group.
This article seems to sum up very nicely all points of this messy situation, and it reflects the opinion of a lot of the people here in Macedonia. I cannot discuss politics of this country, so I will stop short of presenting any of my opinions, but you can devise your own after reading the article.
http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21651262-after-long-political-ferment-short-burst-fighting-danger-or-distraction
Since this incident, things have calmed down significantly in this country. However, even though it was inconvenient that the marathon was cancelled, it seems on retrospect like the right call. Many of us just feel bad that some foreigners traveled from far away to run a race that was eventually cancelled. For example, one man from China was prepared to run his 100th marathon, and even arrived in Skopje early to accustom himself to the roads, air, and elevation.
A few PCVs managed a quick run around the city on Sunday, and the energy was electric. A few runners managed to run a part of the course, and we saw them march past the official finish line chanting "Macedonia! Macedonia!" Despite not racing that day, it was a good day to be a runner.
My travels through Central Europe were limited by my commitment to return to Skopje by May 10 for the Skopje marathon. As readers of this blog know, I did not run the marathon last year due to shin splints. Unfortunately, I did not run the marathon this year for very different reasons.
At around 4AM on Sunday, about 4 hours before the race, I received a text from one of my counterparts. It basically said, "Sorry, but the race has officially been cancelled. Check the news online." The announcement prompted me to share this with other PCVs who were crashing in the same room. It was a major bummer, and we had no idea what to do. But with adrenaline and disappointment already pumping through us, a few of us decided to walk around the neighborhood and try to find alcohol for a morning run. We couldn't find any, since we were in an Albanian neighborhood, so we decided to try to sleep a bit more just as the sun was beginning to rise.
Why was the marathon cancelled? Well, it seemed that there was a "terrorist attack" in nearby Kumanovo. Even weeks after the event occurred, the details are still fishy and not completely clear. But the marathon was cancelled because, first, there were rumors that these terrorists from nearby Kosovo were targeting an attack on the marathon, and second, the day was quickly recognized as a day of mourning for the 8 police officers who lost their lives battling this group.
This article seems to sum up very nicely all points of this messy situation, and it reflects the opinion of a lot of the people here in Macedonia. I cannot discuss politics of this country, so I will stop short of presenting any of my opinions, but you can devise your own after reading the article.
http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21651262-after-long-political-ferment-short-burst-fighting-danger-or-distraction
Since this incident, things have calmed down significantly in this country. However, even though it was inconvenient that the marathon was cancelled, it seems on retrospect like the right call. Many of us just feel bad that some foreigners traveled from far away to run a race that was eventually cancelled. For example, one man from China was prepared to run his 100th marathon, and even arrived in Skopje early to accustom himself to the roads, air, and elevation.
A few PCVs managed a quick run around the city on Sunday, and the energy was electric. A few runners managed to run a part of the course, and we saw them march past the official finish line chanting "Macedonia! Macedonia!" Despite not racing that day, it was a good day to be a runner.
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| Group of runners marching to the finish line (Photo taken from Skopski Marathon Official FB page) |
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| PCVs (from Macedonia and Albania) enjoying our morning run |
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