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Send your old running shoes to Africa..!

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Comments

  • #32
    Mick Rice
    Registered Users Posts: 467 ✭✭Mick Rice


    I feel seriously guilty that I haven’t been around this thread more ... but anyway, here's an update.

    Part of my excuse for kind of falling off the planet for the last few weeks is that I was training fairly hard for an ultra this month and managed to pick up a stress fracture in my heel. Apparently 776 miles in 7 weeks is too much. Who could have known :-) Anyway, depression anger and egotism set in big time and I'm just starting to crawl out of my hole in the last week or so.

    The situation with shoes is a lot better. Many, many people brought shoes to the Connemara Marathon Registration and many more gave them to me at various times and places over the last number of weeks. I'd guess that so far we have around 300 pair, mostly in fantastic condition. One international runner delivered two huge bags full of shoes to me, the vast majority of which were brand new and with labels still attached. People are very generous. There is also a strong possibility that a triathlon event will collect another large number of shoes that we can send to Kenya and to Lezan's training group.

    Lezan travelled back to Kenya yesterday and brought with him a large number of shoes, many more that I had thought would be possible. Apparently he had some contact with the airline that made it possible for him not to worry about the usual baggage restrictions. Good job he wasn't with Ryanair I suppose :-)

    I'm now in the process of working out the best way of getting the remaining shoes to Nairobi from where Lezan can transport the shoes to Eldoret where he lives. I've had some concrete and some tentative offers of financial support for the task of shipping the shoes but have yet to establish the most cost effective method of doing this. If you have any suggestions I'd be glad to hear them. Approaches to some major sports retailers and the Kenyan Embassy have so far drawn a blank. The people who have thus far offered financial help are private individuals that don't want to be named.

    One way or another we'll get this done. I'd like, of course to thank everyone, who came up trumps with shoes over the last few weeks and I'll hope to post here more regularly on progress in weeks to come.


  • #33
    Zuppy
    Registered Users Posts: 872 ✭✭✭Zuppy


    Still have 2 full bags in shed. If your in Cork and still want to give, The Edge Sports shop 79 North main street will still take them.


  • #34
    village runner
    Registered Users Posts: 1,656 ✭✭✭village runner


    Mick Rice wrote: »
    Folks,
    I was lucky enough to meet and get to know the elite Kenyan runner Lezan Kimutai last year. He stayed in our house in Athenry when he came to run the Connemara Half marathon last April and he's due to visit us again for the 2009 version of the race. On his last visit Lezan told me of a group of runners that he's coaching in Kenya and how they are constantly in need of runnning shoes to allow them to continue in the sport. Many of these runners aspire to a professional career or an athletics scholarship in the USA. He has asked that if any Irish runners I knew could save their used running shoes (the ones we all normally retire bacuse they've too many miles on them) for him that they would get another lease of life on the softer Kenyan roads. I understand that Lezan already sources some shoes of this type in Dublin through friends of his at the Dublin City Marathon and these are of great importance to him.

    I've posted some more details about this on my club's web-site at (http://www.athenryac.com/have-you-got-shoes-lezan) and the Connemara Marathon will be supporting the appeal by providing drop off points at the registration areas for this years race. Shoes can also be posted to me for handing over to Lezan. If you had a pair of shoes that you'd like to send to Africa, there'd certainly be a young Kenyan runner who would appreciate it.

    Thanks,

    Mick Rice
    Athenry AC


    Any pick up point around the kilkenny area ??


  • #35
    stmochtas
    Registered Users Posts: 972 ✭✭✭stmochtas


    Are we still collecting runners for this cause? Where is the dublin drop-off point if so?

    Thanks


  • #36
    Mick Rice
    Registered Users Posts: 467 ✭✭Mick Rice


    Unfortunately we've had to stop collecting for the moment as we still have quite a few that have yet to make it to Kenya. Lezan has been in touch and he's travelling to Dublin for the marathon and he'll have one other runner from his group with him. Between them both they'll get quite a lot of shoes back on the plane to Nairobi and may be able to recruit some of the other Kenyan athletes to bring some shoes back for him or for themselves to clear our current 'stock'. Thankfully the luggage allowance for these flights are not of the Ryanair variety. Last March Lezan got about about 70 pairs into his own luggage and I'd expect that between various routes he'll get about four times that number back this year.

    We had hoped at the outset that we'd be able to secure regular sponsorship for transit of shoes to Nairobi, where Lezan had said he could collect and bring back to where his group trains, but all avenues we turned to turned up blank aside from a few very honourable offers from private individuals. We asked for some assistance from the Kenyan Embassy and didn't even get a reply. We asked a number of sports related businesses and also drew a blank. Perhaps our timing wasn't great given all of the current ecconomic troubles.

    It's best to stop collecting for the moment unless anyone knows of a cheap or free way to transport these shoes to Kenya.


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  • #37
    gaffo7
    Closed Accounts Posts: 63 ✭✭gaffo7


    have a pair of nike structure which i paid 130 euro for, wore them twice and they are hurting me. not bothered trying to sell them would rather pass them on to cause such as this. I have another old pair there too.
    I am living in dublin 14, why dont we start breaking up the greater dublin area by area code and looking for volunteer to collect for each area. I will do dublin 14 and 16??


  • #38
    nutzzz123
    Closed Accounts Posts: 138 ✭✭nutzzz123


    Mick Rice wrote: »
    Unfortunately we've had to stop collecting for the moment as we still have quite a few that have yet to make it to Kenya. Lezan has been in touch and he's travelling to Dublin for the marathon and he'll have one other runner from his group with him. Between them both they'll get quite a lot of shoes back on the plane to Nairobi and may be able to recruit some of the other Kenyan athletes to bring some shoes back for him or for themselves to clear our current 'stock'. Thankfully the luggage allowance for these flights are not of the Ryanair variety. Last March Lezan got about about 70 pairs into his own luggage and I'd expect that between various routes he'll get about four times that number back this year.

    We had hoped at the outset that we'd be able to secure regular sponsorship for transit of shoes to Nairobi, where Lezan had said he could collect and bring back to where his group trains, but all avenues we turned to turned up blank aside from a few very honourable offers from private individuals. We asked for some assistance from the Kenyan Embassy and didn't even get a reply. We asked a number of sports related businesses and also drew a blank. Perhaps our timing wasn't great given all of the current ecconomic troubles.

    It's best to stop collecting for the moment unless anyone knows of a cheap or free way to transport these shoes to Kenya.

    out of curiousity, how much does it cost to send a certain quantity to Kenya.


  • #39
    walshb
    Registered Users Posts: 54,562 ✭✭✭✭walshb


    Mick Rice wrote: »
    Folks,
    I was lucky enough to meet and get to know the elite Kenyan runner Lezan Kimutai last year. He stayed in our house in Athenry when he came to run the Connemara Half marathon last April and he's due to visit us again for the 2009 version of the race. On his last visit Lezan told me of a group of runners that he's coaching in Kenya and how they are constantly in need of runnning shoes to allow them to continue in the sport. Many of these runners aspire to a professional career or an athletics scholarship in the USA. He has asked that if any Irish runners I knew could save their used running shoes (the ones we all normally retire bacuse they've too many miles on them) for him that they would get another lease of life on the softer Kenyan roads. I understand that Lezan already sources some shoes of this type in Dublin through friends of his at the Dublin City Marathon and these are of great importance to him.

    I've posted some more details about this on my club's web-site at (http://www.athenryac.com/have-you-got-shoes-lezan) and the Connemara Marathon will be supporting the appeal by providing drop off points at the registration areas for this years race. Shoes can also be posted to me for handing over to Lezan. If you had a pair of shoes that you'd like to send to Africa, there'd certainly be a young Kenyan runner who would appreciate it.

    Thanks,

    Mick Rice
    Athenry AC

    Is this a joke, in case anyone hasn't noticed, the Africans are kicking our asses on the track and we should be sending our runners?:confused:

    And if you don't send them, it won' matter a damn to him, he'll still kick your ass on the track.

    I can just see it now, Paddy is blazing as hard as he can on the track and Mr Kenya roars by him
    with a pair of raggedy asics on. "Hey, they're mine, come back here now."

    Actually, it could spur Paddy on to run faster.

    I am not trying to be funny, but where did this idea come from?

    I reckon it will work for a couple of years, but then Mr Kenya will
    be back over saying, "Thanks Ireland, doin' great with those runners, but
    they're a little old fashioned and out of date, can you from now on send over
    the latest new pairs please"

    And Paddy will then be begging for new pairs fresh from the stores....

    I think it's awful smug and arrogant to be so patronising to the Africans.
    They are doin' damn well enough on the track and aren't waiting
    on Paddy to sort them with medals OR runners. I can just here it: "Oh, these runners are a little smelly, send them
    to the poor Africans. They won't care, sure aren't they grateful for any old crap."


  • #40
    a123
    Registered Users Posts: 101 ✭✭a123


    walshb wrote: »
    I am not trying to be funny, but where did this idea come from?

    "


    I think you'll find if you read Mick's post carefully that:
    He has asked that if any Irish runners I knew could save their used running shoes (the ones we all normally retire bacuse they've too many miles on them) for him that they would get another lease of life on the softer Kenyan roads. I understand that Lezan already sources some shoes of this type in Dublin through friends of his at the Dublin City Marathon and these are of great importance to him.

    He being Lezan Kimutai.
    I think it's awful smug and arrogant to be so patronising to the Africans.
    They are doin' damn well enough on the track and aren't waiting
    on Paddy to sort them with medals OR runners. I can just here it: "Oh, these runners are a little smelly, send them
    to the poor Africans. They won't care, sure aren't they grateful for any old crap."

    I don't post very much here to be honest but I find your last comment uncalled for. I don't believe there is anyone here thinking that, they are only trying to offer the help that has been asked for.
    "Oh, these runners are a little smelly, send them
    to the poor Africans. They won't care, sure aren't they grateful for any old crap."

    This part was only said by you, thought by you and is a poor reflection on you, you didn't hear it anywhere.

    Sorry if thats harsh but I am disappointed by your comments


  • #41
    ultraman1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,742 ✭✭✭ultraman1


    +1


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  • #42
    asimonov
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,378 ✭✭✭asimonov


    walshb wrote: »
    Is this a joke, in case anyone hasn't noticed, the Africans are kicking our asses on the track and we should be sending our runners?:confused:

    And if you don't send them, it won' matter a damn to him, he'll still kick your ass on the track.

    I can just see it now, Paddy is blazing as hard as he can on the track and Mr Kenya roars by him
    with a pair of raggedy asics on. "Hey, they're mine, come back here now."

    Actually, it could spur Paddy on to run faster.

    I am not trying to be funny, but where did this idea come from?

    I reckon it will work for a couple of years, but then Mr Kenya will
    be back over saying, "Thanks Ireland, doin' great with those runners, but
    they're a little old fashioned and out of date, can you from now on send over
    the latest new pairs please"

    And Paddy will then be begging for new pairs fresh from the stores....

    I think it's awful smug and arrogant to be so patronising to the Africans.
    They are doin' damn well enough on the track and aren't waiting
    on Paddy to sort them with medals OR runners. I can just here it: "Oh, these runners are a little smelly, send them
    to the poor Africans. They won't care, sure aren't they grateful for any old crap."

    deja-vu. bored already.


  • #43
    walshb
    Registered Users Posts: 54,562 ✭✭✭✭walshb


    So, you see no problem with smelly and stinking Irish second hand trainers on an Africans feet? I guess that shows the lack of compassion for the Africans then.

    Anyway, does anyone really believe that the Kenyan athletes are waiting on the good old Irish to solve their running problems?

    As far as I know, and the last time I checked, the Kenyans were doing just fine on the track and in championships. Seriously, it's not April 1st yet.
    This thread should have waited till then


  • #44
    --amadeus--
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,096 ✭✭✭--amadeus--


    Not the time or place for political soapboxing walshb. And for everyone else, if you object to a post please report it.

    Since Mick has said that they aren't in a position to collect more shoes anyway I'm going to lock this before we end up with another free for all.


This discussion has been closed.
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