Race Day

Every year in Madrid there are series of road races and fun-runs to rise money for a well known children’s hospital opposite Retiro Park. The Hospital del Niño Jesus. Last Sunday was the day this year.

This time last year I was preparing to go on my first trip to Korea. Was that a year ago? Wow! Scary. Meanwhile Dani was taking part in his first 2km run/walk for this noble cause.

Corre por el Niño 2018

There are 10km and 4km races for the more keen runners. Then there is the 2km fun-run or “marcha familiar” . This year I ran with Dani. And fair play to the lad, he did run the full 2km. There were plenty of other participants. Thousands actually.

Intergalactic fund-raising…

There was some help on hand to occupy the kids. None other than Darth Vader and a collection of other Star Wars characters. Vader is not widely known for his charity work. More associated with terrorising that far away galaxy. However, he did a great job of cheering the kids, the participants and the spectators. I always thought he received bad press….

Accompanied as usual by his band of stormtroopers. There were other Star Wars characters on hand to give the kids a high-five as they jogged off around the 2 km circuit. There was even a Jawa and one of the sand people (aka Tusken Raiders). I should have got more photos, I know…

Dani won. I came a close second. In third place was Dani’s mum. Then came Susana and her dad Javi. Not that Dani was trying to win as such. He just has more energy than the rest of us. But when t was all over the two cousins shared the top spot on the podium.

Now I am waiting for a flight to Madrid from Gatwick. A long weekend for myself because this weekend is Dani’s 5th birthday. Where did those five years go? Sunday is party time….