The 30th edition of the Thane Mayor Varsha Marathon will be held on Sunday, and athletes taking part already know one thing for sure: They’ll be off to a bumpy start. The initial routes of the 21-km marathon are riddled with potholes in Wagle Estate, Teen Hath Naka and Majiwada.
Civic officials said they would continue to fill potholes till the eve of the race on Saturday. “We have divided the pothole-filling exercise into two parts, the first focus is on the marathon route. We shall work till 8pm on Saturday to fill the potholes. The most number of potholes were at Kapurbawdi and Majiwada junctions,” said Ravindra Khadtale, city engineer, Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC). “This will be followed by the second part wherein we shall focus on the rest of the city and especially areas near pipelines. By August 28, we shall finish filling all potholes, in order to ensure a smooth Ganesh Chaturthi,” said Khadtale.
The TMC and Thane District Athletics Association are jointly organising the marathon. Four marathon events will be held separately for men and women, of 21km and 10km.
Thane mayor Meenakshi Shinde had earlier assured the potholes would be filled before the race began. “We have covered most potholes and have ensured the route is safe for the run. The incessant rainfall has made it difficult to fill the potholes but we are trying our best to ensure a smooth race,” said Shinde.
{{/usCountry}}Thane mayor Meenakshi Shinde had earlier assured the potholes would be filled before the race began. “We have covered most potholes and have ensured the route is safe for the run. The incessant rainfall has made it difficult to fill the potholes but we are trying our best to ensure a smooth race,” said Shinde.
{{/usCountry}}Ranjan Bhide, 38, who has been running the marathon for the past three years, said things have not improved this year. “Last year as well, despite authorities filling the potholes there were rough patches on the route. It can lead to runners getting injured, as a smooth patch is essential to win the race. No shoe can help ensure a smooth run. We were hoping things would improve this year,” said Bhide.