Soon after running, rather walking, the Mumbai Marathon in 2006, I wanted to get back to the city again and banish the ghosts of not finishing the run in specified time. Given the registration fee was not exorbitant as it is today, I registered for the event again in 2007 and 2008, only not to travel to Mumbai, let alone run. In 2009, I registered for the event only as a contingent plan, should anything adverse in my attempt to run The Singapore Marathon in December 2008. The Singapore Marathon turned out to be a memorable experience, and only in end-December 2008 that I actually decided to run the event.
Back then, the organisers of Mumbai marathon used to be ridiculed for their ignorance about running and anyone visiting the event expo can sense the reason behind it. My experience of visiting a running event expo was at Singapore Marathon which had stalls pertaining to products somewhat connected to running or fitness. Mumbai Marathon expo at the WTC was different in its own way with stalls on instant soups and jewellery; and a few running shoe brands. The ‘goodies bag’ given as a compliment to the runners was a further revelation that the organisers had no clue about running. It had a rich collection of either expired or soon to be expiring cosmetics and medicines. Items include soaps, hand wash, face wash, shampoos, cough syrup, throat drops, shower gel, Instant coffee and moisturising creams. It was difficult to comprehend why these items were given to runners! The only items of any use were a water bottle and the bag containing these items.
The 2009 Mumbai Marathon was among the first major public events in Mumbai since the terror attack that happened on November 26-27, 2008. Security checks must have become part of Mumbaikars life and Azad Maidan was no exception. Though two security officials insisted on seeing my running bib before letting me in, no one was bothered about my friend, Panduranga Raju, also my ‘official’ photographer, entering the Maidan. Later, he was asked for his bib when he left the Maidan which was equally bizarre.
Azad Maidan
As we entered the Maidan, we could hear the MC rattle on the microphone with plenty of emotional words! The one that stood out was the cliched “We thank you for getting Mumbai back on its feet”. This one was strange as it was said at 5:30 AM when the vast majority of the Mumbaikars should be either in their bed or going to one after a Saturday night. The striking feature of the Azad Maidan was its poor lighting. An event of such magnitude with added security concerns must have been better lit. As I proceeded to the start area, the lighting was getting dimmer and at the holding area, it was nearly dark.
Did Anil Ambani Run?
The walk from the holding area to the start point was fairly a long one. In 2009, the full marathon and half-marathon started and ended at Azad Maidan. There were talks of Anil Ambani running the half-marathon that year. Well, you would not find his name in the results and he was not to be seen in subsequent editions of Half-Marathon, which started at Bandra and ended in Azad Maidan. The only time I heard about his running in recent times was in a court hearing where he claimed himself to be a ‘Avid Marathoner’ despite my doubts.
The early miles…
The cheering from the crowd supported by local bands in the initial phase was exemplary and provided the gloss for the event. It was possibly the first time that amateur runners (defined as those finishing beyond 3 hours 30 mins) were allowed to start with the half-marathon runners at 6:45 AM instead of the regular start at 7:45 AM. As route approached the Peddar bridge, it was surprising to see a large number of people had actually turned out to cheer runners in Half and Full marathon. It would be normal to expect such crowd for the celebrity or the ‘Jil-Jil’ runs but was pleasantly surprised to see the crowd cheering ‘ordinary’ runners for a full marathon. The initial run did not give me much confidence of a strong finish. The soreness in my left leg was still around and the weariness had already crept into my both legs. At this stage my mind was only on finishing 30 Km by running and walking the rest.
From Worli sea-face till Bandra
As I running at the 15th Km mark, I could see the early pack amongst the elite group running on the other side. It was a delightful sight for any runner to watch them at such close quarters. It also gives a sense of pride that they are competing with us! They were aided by a rich support cast including a timing vehicle ahead of them, the press bus and cameras anchored in a helicopter. It was nice to take some space in such luxuries. However, it did not last for a very long time as they ran past me like a feather in a storm. The timing vehicle at the 16Km mark indicated about 46 minutes (Elite runners start about an hour later than us) which gave me some confidence that I was not too slow. The next time, I had the opportunity to look at the timing vehicle was in the 21st Km when the elite pack was returning. The time was 1:20 (2:20 for me) and it looked like I could still try for a sub-5 hour finish! A big thanks here to my friend Aruni Mahapatra who managed to get up so early on a Sunday morning to cheer me at the 22 Km mark. The joy of hearing someone cheer me by my name was unforgettable. Check out the pictures by Pandu
The Twenties
I finished the half marathon mark with a mix of happiness and caution. I was happy to finish it reasonably well but reminded myself that the race has just began now. I could feel some pain on my left ankle and both the thighs have started developing the usual soreness. I decided to stick to my usual walk breaks after every 3 Kms until I reach the thirties. These were days before the Sea-Link bridge (in fact, the last one), and the U-turn point at the 23 Km mark gave a great deal of psychological support – The route becomes familiar and also that there is only one way back, i.e. To the finish!
The heat was on the rise and the run started becoming more challenging. The other external factors seems to be in my favour. When I felt hungry, there was someone offering me a biscuit and when I felt thirsty, there was someone to offer me a fruit drink. A runner in front of me was undergoing a tough time and his family was around to support him. His daughter ran a few metres encouraging him, “Papa, you are the greatest” and thus providing a great emotional boost to him. Running a marathon isn’t just about running at that stage! It started translating into a more mental exercise. The anonymous people who came forward to help did a great deal to boost my mental confidence to see through the run.
The Finish…
I was running without a watch or GPS device and had no idea of pace or time. After crossing the 35 Km mark, I found that it was 11:00 AM. My calculation suggested that I can go under 5 hours if I run the remaining distance with less walk breaks. The last phase of the run was the most difficult as the route is exposed to direct sunlight and at 11:00 AM and it can only get worse! I eventually chose the 900-100 method of running 900m and walking 100m for every Km. My task was made easier with the road being a straight one as I see the next marker board from distance and comfort myself.
Panduranga Raju reappeared at the 39 Km with his camera and took some wonderful pictures. The ‘official pictures’ used to priced in USD and way beyond my budget. He also offered his words of encouragement and things seem to look good as I head for the final 3 Kms. The pain seems to out of my mind and finishing was the top priority. The heat was rising and so are my spirits and the joy of getting so close to the finish. As the finish line got closer, I decided to keep my head cool and finish calmly. The finish line was a bit crowded and I managed to find my way out to the medal counter to collect my medal and some ‘refreshments’. There was no any place allotted for the full marathon finishers to recover from the run Such was the bad state of arrangements. It was only later that I found out my official time to be 4 Hours 53 minutes and 9 seconds, exactly a second slower than my Singapore marathon timing!
Spirit of Mumbai
When it comes to Mumbai Marathon, much has been written about the ‘Spirit of Mumbai’ and any additions might not add much value. However, any write-up on Mumbai marathon would not be complete if it fails to acknowledge the support offered by thousands of anonymous people in the streets of Mumbai. People of all ages came out to cheer the hundreds of runners as if they are related to them for years! From young kids offering handshakes to toothless old women offering smiles of encouragement, it surpassed my expectations from the event. The anonymous people who came out from nowhere to give me a banana or biscuits or my favourite brand of fruit juice tetra pack exactly at the time when I needed them will remain in my minds for ever. The shortcomings of the organisers was more than adequately compensated by the cheerful crowd. The Trident Nariman Point hotel, where the terror attacks happened in November 2008, was on the route. It was so emotional to see the staff of the hotel coming out in the morning to cheer us on the run.
On Looking Back…
The marathon happened around the same time when I was in a confused state. After quitting my first job in 2008, I was wavering around and not able to figure out my next move. One assignment ended up abruptly exactly at the same time as the Mumbai terror attack. While running marathons did not seem to be the way forward at that point of time, the trip, the run, and watching Mumbai get back certainly gave me some confidence to stay on track and believe that something would come my way.
This was the first time, I took up to writing about my experience of running a marathon. I did not have plans to start a blog then. Most of what is written was shared with Chennai Runners through the e-mail group. In some sense, the marathon kick started my writing.
Running and Beyond 