As festive fervor grips Mokokchung town, the townspeople are eagerly awaiting the annual Inter-Ward Christmas Cake Race, scheduled to be held on December 24 and organized by the Mokokchung Municipal Council. With only three days remaining until this much-celebrated event, all the wards are reportedly preparing for one of the town’s biggest festive season traditions.
This will be the 51st edition of the race, which will start at 6:30 a.m. at the main police point in Mokokchung town.
The race is open exclusively to legitimate residents of the Mokokchung Municipality’s 18 wards. Each participating team must consist of 11 runners, including 2 girls and 9 boys. Notably, the first and second runners must be female competitors.
Winners of the 50th edition of the race in 2023, Dilong Ward, are eagerly preparing to retain the title. Lanuakum Imsong, president of the Dilong Youth Association, disclosed that their runners have been training since the beginning of December. “It’s very competitive. We can’t be that confident. But we are hoping to,” Imsong said when asked if they were confident about retaining the title.
In 2023, Lijaba Lijen Ward finished second after winning the race for the previous five consecutive years. In the 1990s, Arkong Ward was the dominant ward, but Majakong Ward took over after the turn of the century. However, after Lijaba Lijen Ward was bifurcated from Majakong circa 2008, it became the dominant ward until multiple-time second-place finishers Dilong Ward dethroned them in the 50th edition of the race in 2023. Notably, Arkong secured third place in 2023, marking its first top-three finish in almost two decades.
As race day draws closer, the town is anxiously waiting to see if Dilong Ward can retain the title or if Lijaba Lijen will return to claim it.
The first cake race was organized by the Seasonal Club in 1971 and has been held every year since, except in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.