No long lonely distance

Joining the human race need not be a mad dash.

A mother friend offered an insight recently — some countries raise their children to focus on community but in the West we focus more on independence.

No wonder we sometimes feel lonely.

Walking as a group, though, has a communal vibe and the recent Dunedin marathon had walking options. Dancers from Gasp! Dance Trust did the 5km option, raising funds for inclusive dance for people with and without disabilities.

The Emerson’s Dunedin Marathon is a full 42km course but accessibility is part of the kaupapa.

There are fun run and walking options and this was the first year the 5km route included wheelchairs and pushchairs. Marathon committee chairwoman Maria Sleeman said that while some people walk for a few years then go on the run, conversely, ageing runners can move down to the walk. "There’s a lot of flexibility."

At the starting line everyone was focused, even us walkers. But there was soon a clear distinction between the attitude of runners and walkers. Walkers cruised the wharf area together, chatting away like a particularly relaxed bunch of nomadic hunter gatherers. Gasp! dance teacher Hannah Rouse even pulled off some dance moves on the freedom of the road closed to cars.

Towards the end of the marathon there were runners last-gasping, crooked and ragged, with the occasional groan and end-of-nose sweat droplet. No wonder.

This contrasted with one of our party. "I wonder if we’re near the end yet. It sort of seems that way", while another replied, "Cool, I’m quite hungry now". Supportive sideliners clapped as we walked towards the finishing line’s big banner, so we broke into an embarrassed, self-justifying jog.

It was still a buzz to reach the end as a group. As Hannah said: "We were part of a pack. We were our own pack within a pack." And thanks to community kindness, Gasp! raised funds in excess of their target figure.

Walking solo in nature can be a great escape but walking as part of one big human machine helps address part of the paradox of being human — sometimes other people can drive us nuts but we still need each other.

In our individualist society it’s easy to be lonely. But even if we’re not physically present with other people, we’re always part of the human race. Humans belong to the aliveness of the living world and all its other sentient beings, so in a way we are never alone. Small comfort, but let’s take what we can get.