Kelsang would join over thirty-seven thousand marathoners from
50 different countries for this race of 2004. The elite runners,
the ones who had won races and shown potential to win here, would
start their race before the majority of marathoners, so that they
would not get squeezed in the melee. Those were the runners that
were here to win, win the glory of New York City Marathon, prize
money and a car that comes along to the winners.
But that was not what the majority of the runners were here
for. For most, it was just to complete the race; a grueling
26.2 miles along the “mean” streets of New York
City, an endurance test to themselves and a gratification that
comes along in just completing the race. For some, it was about
celebrating a milestone, a birthday, a wedding anniversary or
a myriad of things one could conjure up.
Kelsang Dolma Dodin, with a personal goal to finish the race
in a little over four hours, was not here to win the race, which
is usually finished in a little over two hours by the winners.
She was not running to celebrate any anniversary of sorts either.
But she did have a bigger reason to run than to run just for
the sake of running.
Kelsang, who was born in Ladakh in Northern India in 1976,
has always been an athlete interested in various sports. Running
from early on as a child in the Tibetan Children’s Village
School in Dharamsala, her interest led her to run in marathons
in Bonn, Germany and London, England. Running to raise funds
for the London-based Tibet Foundation projects, she has raised
over $3,000 to be used to relieve poverty and give opportunities
for a decent standard of education and healthcare for Tibetans
in Ladakh and inside Tibet itself.
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Coming to New York ten days prior to the November 7, 2004 marathon,
she had in mind not only to get herself prepared for the race,
but also to speak with various Tibetan organizations in New
York. Kelsang wanted to showcase her running of the NYC marathon
and an attempt to educate spectators and runners alike of the
plight of Tibet. What little publicity she would get with people
or by appearing on TV, if that were to happen, she wanted to
let viewers know of Tibet. She wanted to turn her running in
the marathon for a cause all Tibetans believe in. In meeting
with the officials from Regional Tibetan Youth Congress of NY
and NJ, Tibetan Women’s Association of NY and NJ, Tibetan
Community of NY and NJ, and other Tibetan Community leaders,
it was unanimously decided by all that she would be “Running
for Tibet”.
Kelsang started her race wearing a yellow tank top with the
front printed with the Tibetan Flag. At the back was a picture
of Tenzing Delek Rimpoche and a message, “Sentenced to
Die” followed by a plea, “You can save my life”,
and an internet address www.SaveTenzin.org. Two years ago, a
Tibetan Buddhist monk and teacher, Tenzin Delek Rinpoche was
arrested by Chinese authorities and sentenced to death for a
crime he did not commit. Time is running out for Tenzin Delek
Rimpoche and he could be executed by the Chinese government
as early as December of this year.
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Race organizers and police estimated the crowd cheering the
runners to be about two million. But to Kelsang’s great
delight, some of her Tibetan supporters were waiting to cheer
her only into eight miles of the race. A group led by the Students
for Free Tibet (SFT) cheered, “Go! Kelsang Go!”
— followed by “Free Tibet and Free Tenzing Delek
Rimpoche” — giving her a boost of energy at this
early stage. Just as she approached the Williamsburg section
of Brooklyn, Kusho Sonam Wangdu, leading a group of some twenty
Tibetans waving the Tibetan flags, cheered Kelsang on. She was
reminded of her purpose to run. It wasn’t only about her
running a race. This wasn’t just a race but an event to
inspire Tibetans and others to do anything they could to make
everyone aware of the Tibetan cause.
Waiting to cheer Kelsang at the Queens side of Queensboro bridge
was another group of Tibetans, led by TYC’s Ngawang Palden
and Tenpa. As the little figure with a Tibetan Flag on her shirt
ran with a sea of other runners, chants of “Kelsang, we’re
proud of you” made her proud to be a Tibetan that warm
sunny day, running a race in the streets of New York.
As she headed down on 5th Avenue in uptown, Kelsang spotted
Domay, a Tibetan New Yorker waving a small Tibetan flag. Kelsang
asked her if she could have that flag. Domay running along Kelsang
passed the flag like a baton in a relay race to Kelsang, who
would carry it to the end of the race, waving it along the way.
At the end of Central Park, where the runners make a right
turn by Grand Army Plaza Hotel, Kelsang was greeted by Pawo
Sonam Wangdu, one of the hunger strikers from this summer. Pawo
Sonam knows first hand what it means to come and show support
as it was the support from many Tibetans of New York and across
the country that gave him strength to go over a month without
eating in front of the United Nations. At the request of Kunga
Thinley and Sonam Topgyal of the RTYC, Kelsang stopped there
for some pictures to be taken while the crowd chanted her name
and let her know how proud they were of her.
A Yak danced to the beat of a drum at the Columbus circle,
near the end of the race. New York’s own Tibetan Dance
Group, Cholsum, and other Tibetans cheered Kelsang as she ran
into the Central Park, the last leg of the race.
Kelsang’s running for Tibet brought encouragement and
excitement not only on the streets of New York, but in cyberspace
as well. Many posted messages on Phayul.com
web site’s discussion thread “Salute to Kelsang
Running for Tibet”. A writer going by the pseudonym of
‘Mindfulness’ wrote,
“What a joy and pride it is that Kelsang is running
for Tibet! With her tender feet clapping on the concrete of
NY amidst a swarming crowd who will glimpse ‘Free TIBET’
on her forehead, the long denied beacon of hope would be lighted
at least for a fleeting moment. But that fleeting moment of
patriotism means a lot to many of us.” And the writer
concludes, “In her feet’s beating of the concrete
of US, the whole six million Tibetans’ hearts will also
beat with it…at least for the moment it truly deserves.”
Another writer, going by the name ‘Six Syllable’
wrote,
“…Interesting thing is, when you run, your
whole body acts up and with it the beating of the heart and
the combustion of metabolism. But in this case, her running
helps in its own way to ignite the combustion of our dormant
patriotism — that of a Tibetan. It is quite remarkable
that patriotism could be displayed not only in our speech
and writing, but also in the very sweat oozing out of our
body and especially her, when we hit the ground with a mission
in heart! Free Tibet!”
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As she finished her race in 5 hours 11 minutes and 42 seconds,
official time, she was welcomed by another group of Tibetans
who thanked her for her courage to run 26.2 miles and effort
to bring attention to Tibet and Tibetans. But a humble Tibetan
runner that Kelsang is, she was even more grateful that so many
Tibetans came to support her in the streets of New York. More
than a race, this was a symbolic coming together of so many
Tibetans in their own effort to educate the world of a country
called Tibet. No matter what a Tibetan does, Kelsang firmly
believes, he or she must always do it to promote the just cause
of Tibet. Every little effort put by Tibetans around the world
will help in realizing every Tibetan’s dream of one day
going back to a Free Tibet.
So this Tibetan woman, born in Ladakh, India and living in
England, steals all Tibetans’ hearts in New York. She
has inspired the Tibetan community so much so that there’s
already a talk that in the New York City Marathon of 2005, many
other Tibetans may join her to bring even more attention to
Tibet. After all, it is only fair and the duty of all Tibetans,
who ought to be, in any way we can, to be always “Running
for Tibet”.
