Citizens look forward to Bengaluru's World 10K running race

In the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world's eyes will be on Bengaluru as the city gears up to host the 14th edition of the World 10K 2022.

In the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world's eyes will be on Bengaluru as the city gears up to host the 14th edition of the World 10K 2022. Tareque Laskar, a Bengaluru local originally from Assam, is looking forward to interacting with participants and making meaningful social connections through running again."In terms of motivation, it's just something that you remind yourself that you can do to make you feel alive. It's very life-affirming to be doing a long run, especially to experience the runner's high."

The World 10K Bengaluru is an annual 10 kilometres road running competition which usually takes place in late May. (Source: The Bridge)

Laskar's motivation represents the theme for this year is to #ComeAlive. To be alive - is to be capable of more than you imagined, do something meaningful together, believe in yourself, make it count and to finding your inner joy.

The 41-year-old Assam native is the head of the research desk at ITW, a consulting firm here in Bengaluru and started his running career in the same year that the World 10K held its first edition in the city. "I had never run any kind of distance, even in school. I was just curious to try it out. I went in with very little practice [but] the experience was fun. In terms of running with so many people around the whole community, things I did not know existed which I discovered when I went to the [1st edition] and I was kind of hooked since then."

Although being a complete novice at running road races and long-distance, Laskar appreciated the togetherness aspect of the sport and how it brought together a community. "It's also something that you can share with your fellow runners. It always leaves a positive impression and gives you a bit of a social cache, getting to be able to tell people that I just like to brand this day," says Laskar about why he continues to participate in the World 10K. This attitude is something that he has implemented into his daily fitness routine as well, which he says is a "basic workout routine in the morning" filled with walks to and from the office - coincidentally covering some of the routes that the participants will run during the World 10K - along with weekend football games with friends.

When asked about one special moment that he associates with his dedicated participation in the World 10K, he points to a personal goal of proving that he can complete this year's race with minimal trouble. The COVID-19 pandemic only allowed for the virtual app-based run format to be organised last year, which was enjoyable for Laskar, but he is looking forward to "the kind of things that you get to experience with fellow runners - just encouraging them or them encouraging you or sharing stories or just giving each other a high five, keep pushing each other as you are going through it. It's an incredible feeling that cannot be replicated online or [through] any other kind of model."

The USD $210,000 World Athletics Elite Label Race will witness some of the world's finest distance runners on the roads of Bengaluru as well as thousands of mass participation competitors from across India.