The Streak Story

A Streak Story by the original “Streakers”, Tom and Irene Wilson.

The best laid schemes o’ wife an’ man gang aft agley.

Planning a holiday has its challenges but planning a streak on holiday needs serious consideration. We thought we had it down to a tee when we took off in the early morning for Columbia to then change planes for Cuba. As we were chasing the sun the trans Atlantic flight would have us arriving around the middle of the day and a transfer to the Cuban flight getting us there in the early evening in time for both of us to complete our Streak run for the day.

Approaching Bogota the captain announces with apologies Bogota is fog bound and we can only land at Cali deep in the Andes. We disembarked the plane in Cali and sat in a small waiting area accompanied by the other two hundred or so fellow passengers with strict instructions not to leave the waiting room as there were no customs and immigration here.

No one was telling us anything and we could see our streak plans were evaporating. We stood looking out at the deserted runway discussing the merits or dire consequences of making a run for it. We were getting quite agitated.

News came in a flurry of languages over a very crackly sound system but we were unable to decipher it so as the crowds moved we followed. The plane was now heading back to Bogota although it took us many minutes to acquire this information from the flight attendant. It took our own perception to work out the transfer to the cuban flight was not going to be achieved today. We thought we will be imprisoned in an airport overnight and not get a chance to run. Oh calamity why did we not run early in the morning before arriving at Manchester.

And so it was Bogota was reached and we were back in a waiting area, more spacious this time as those whose journey ended here departed. We were getting really tired now after all the to-ing and fro-ing. Then surprisingly we were whipped off to a hotel  to spend the night. Checking in we discovered our luggage would be staying at the airport which now threw another spanner in the works as Irene’s running gear was in the case. It was now around 6 pm and coming hell or high water I was running because I had my running gear either on or in my carry on bag. Fortunately I was travelling in long running trousers and had running shorts in my bag. Being the jolly good sport I am I let Irene have my shorts and T-shirt while I ran in longs and my travel T-shirt. We mostly always wear trainers so that was not a problem. Off we ran into the teaming homebound Columbians emanating from the factories of the surrounding area. There was me overdressed and sweltering in the evening heat with Irene awkwardly hanging onto the shorts which were determined to fall down. We ran 12 mins one way then returned the same way to ensure we covered a minimum Streak run.( This was a common pre- Strava strategy.) 

Another day done. We must have made an odd couple indeed.