(A/N: Don't get the wrong impression here that I am going to go into detail on everything that happens during the entire event, but I just thought that if I did that for this first chapter of the actual running, maybe it would help you readers understand how this whole event works, etc. Enjoy!)

The hill next to the first set of turns was the place to be. One second, there was an antelope passing in front of them all, the next, a crowd of seven lions and lionesses did.

Wamariri led them, then Tumaini and Ema were right on her hind legs, but most of the cheering from the crowd, was being dedicated to the lioness fourth in line: Uku.

The antelope had chosen to run the turn as tight as possible, and it helped him pull away from the crowd of a little bit. However, as the track straightened up again, Wamariri really put on the sprint, but Tumaini was right behind her. Wamariri knew she didn't have enough space to be able to bring the antelope down, without getting hurt herself, so she did the best thing she could think of: she lunged at the antelope, tackled it, tried to regain her balance, and then ran on.

Tumaini and Ema tried to slow themselves down. The antelope was wounded, yet it was still on all fours. It was going haywire! From the right side of them, however, Uku had decided to pace herself, and now she put on the sprint and pounced. Tumaini and Ema were able to dodge the two as they crashed down onto the dirt, but Uku was the one who had got the main prize: the antelope, and, the ten points that went with it.

Uku's tackle had made the crowd forget about how angry they were at Wamariri's antics. Uku, herself, in fact smiled. Normally she liked to play the start of these things conservative, but that catch had just been for show. All she had wanted to prove, was that she did still have it in her. The crowd showed their approval.

Meanwhile, Wamariri was trying to make the best of a good opportunity. When she had tackled the antelope, she had been able to run on by, while the rest of the competitors had been forced to slow down because of the antelope's resulting, wild, behavior.

Wamariri continued running. Not only so that she could get to the line quicker and pick up a point, but also, she would then be able to close in on the second antelope, which had just been released along the front stretch, quicker.

Just now making her way through the first turn, Sarafina looked behind her. "Look at that," she said, looking over her shoulder. Zoea and Anzi looked over their shoulders too. "The second antelope, it's right behind us." All of the three knew why, it was impossible to have not heard the crowd's cheer at the time of Uku's first kill.

"You know," said Zoea, "if we just stopped for a little while, he'd actually pass us. We'd be the first ones behind him."

"True," replied Sarafina, "but still, it's not going to be worth it. The ground's still damp, the sun's still high, terrible hunting conditions," she said, finishing off as she turned her head back to face the track in front of her. She kept on walking.

"When do you think it will be best to start hunting?" asked Anzi, the youngest and most nervous of the three.

"I'd wait until we have three pieces of prey out here, Anzi. By that time, chances are that it will be cooler, the track will be harder, some of the lionesses would have drifted off to sleep and you'll be less likely to get an injury. If we went after that antelope right now, there'd be about five others trying to charge it down. You're just asking to get hurt, there."

Zoea looked at Sarafina. "You know a lot about this, don't you?"

Sarafina smiled. "Yes, I've been to watch quite a few. I was at Uku's last two victories, can't really remember the first of those that well though."

"Was her last win, her last Siku Choka?" Zoea asked.

"No, she was in the one the year after that, but she didn't win it."

"Oh," replied Zoea simply.

"Hey look," said Sarafina, "there's a lion lying down already."

Anzi was confused. "Why's he doing that?"

"More than likely, he charged at the first antelope to see if he could get an early lead, but now that Uku caught that, he's just decided to rest instead."

"Well . . . it was worth a shot," Zoea replied.

The lion who had fallen asleep towards the outside, along the backstretch, was Bahati. Indeed, he had done exactly as Sarafina had said, but the lionesses had been in a separate league from him. The reason that he had fallen asleep specifically along the backstretch was because that was where his pride had settled themselves in the audience. As soon as they thought it was best that he got up, they would be able to hoot and holler, and then he would be able to hear them, and thus he would be able to get up.

It was a commonly used strategy.

Meanwhile, along the front stretch, Wamariri was coming to complete her first lap, which would log her one point. She had slowed down now though. Not too far in front of her was the antelope. He was just walking casually for now, but Wamariri knew that she had to just follow him. The other two options had severe flaws: if she caught him, the third antelope would be released from behind her, and the competitors were forbidden from walking around the track backwards; however, if she ran around him and went on to log another lap, she would be leaving this antelope as bait for another competitor. Right now, it was best for her to just play it conservative.

Zazu flew down once again, and landed next to Pumbaa, who had moments ago been holding up the stick.

"Hello Pumbaa," he said landing.

"Hi," replied Pumbaa, placing the stick down next to where he was sitting. "How many points does Sarafina have now?"

Zazu sighed. "Pumbaa, she still has zero."

"Oh . . . well . . . eh . . . who's leading?"

"Uku."

"How many points does she have?"

Zazu glared at Pumbaa, annoyed. "Pumbaa, you have no idea how the points system works, do you?"

"What's the points system?" he asked, seriously.

"The competitors get one point for completing a lap, ten points for bringing down prey."

"Oh," replied Pumbaa. "Okay, well do you mind staying here? Timon's handing out rainberries so I'm on my own."

Zazu sighed and plopped down on the ground, next to him. "Yes, I suppose I can. Where's Rakusa?" he asked himself, scanning the track. The lion hadn't made much progress. He wasn't too far in front of Sarafina and her group. They were all making their way down the backstretch, past the sleeping Bahati.

"It must be very hard to sleep in the day," said Pumbaa, looking where Zazu was.

"Yes," replied Zazu, "he's probably not sleeping actually, just resting. Very bad strategy in my opinion. But then what do I know? This is the first time I've been to see one of these."

"Uku's doing the same," added Pumbaa, looking down at the second turn, to the left side of them.

"Well she can afford to do that," replied Zazu, "she's leading. She's very experienced too, you know. She's probably had a lot of practice, trying to fall into a deep sleep during the day."

"Hey look!" exclaimed Pumbaa, pointing at a lion running down the front stretch, "he's going after that piece of prey!"

Indeed, Lenny was. A trail of lionesses had caught up and had now been following Wamariri. However, Lenny hadn't known of, and probably wouldn't have been able to understand, their strategy, so instead: he was just running.

The crowd all began to get to their feet and cheer, as the queue of lionesses realized what was happening from behind them. They all began to run again, most of them now: side-by-side.

There were five in all: Wamariri, Lenny, Tumaini, Nakshi, and Ema.

Nakshi had timed it well. She had been one of the first ones to recognize the threat that Lenny had posed, and so she had been one of the first to decide where she had wanted to run: the outside. It wasn't working for her at first, but as the group approached the first turn, she was able to run straight more so than what the other lion and lionesses could, and as a result, she was able to get a really good run through and off of the turn compared to the rest.

As the track began to straighten out again, Nakshi was able to pull out in front, and though Wamariri made up some ground on her through her physical agility, Nakshi was able to bring the antelope down first, while the rest were sent scattering around them.

The Kimaland Pride let out a cheer from beside Simba and Nala. The couple smiled. Providing it was anyone but Wamariri, they were glad to see the others happy.

"When's your mom going to get a move on?" Simba asked.

Nala shrugged, but she kept her smile. Sarafina, Zoea, and Anzi were just making it into the second turn on their far left.

"Now thoseguys have a good pace going," said Simba, signaling to Guvu, Maneno, and Juni, who were all lined up in a train, trotting over the starting line right in front of them. "See, they're conserving their energy and they've already all got a point."

"Simba, there's one thing you must learn: this is not a race. Look at my mom, she's about to go a lap down . . . that means nothing. This race lasts an entire day, and you're not going to win because of a lap. Maybe ten laps, but not one."

"Okay . . ." Simba said.

Nala chuckled and licked him. "Trust me Simba, you'll love this. It's great."

Pumbaa watched as another antelope made its way out onto the track. Shairi was the closest behind it, but even so: she was still in the second turn, and had no intention of taking down this new piece of prey.

"Hey Zazu," addressed Pumbaa.

"Yes?"

"What do they do with the carcasses?"

"They've got volunteers to help drag them out of the track. For today, those carcasses are free for the audience members' takings. However, the ones brought down tomorrow, which should still be fresh at the end of the race; they are stored off to the side, and then the winner gets to decide who he or she wants to have feast from them."

"Don't we lose a lot of herds, this way?" asked Pumbaa.

"The Siku Choka only goes to Prides who have an excessive amount of herds," replied Zazu.

"Oh," replied Pumbaa. "Hey Zazu," he said again.

"Yes?"

"Who's leading?"

"Nakshi."

"Wow . . ." said Pumbaa, "you're good!"