18th edition of Mumbai Marathon: Runners hit the streets again

Some athletes who attempted the amateur 42-km run -- flagged off at 5:15am -- arrived when it was still dark, and were guided to their starting points by an array of searchlights beamed into the sky from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. Volunteers, too, came in early, and many were from far-off suburbs

Mumbai: After a two-year hiatus, the city saw a turnout of more than 55,000 participants for the Mumbai Marathon on Sunday. The marathoners braved a cold, crisp morning and pollution spike to take over South Mumbai’s arterial roads (otherwise meant for vehicles) and put themselves to this gruelling physical test.

Mumbai, India – Jan 15, 2023: Dream Runner participated during the Tata Mumbai Marathon 2023, in Mumbai, India, on Sunday, Jan 15, 2023. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo)

Having returned after a gap of two years, there was a sense of jubilation in the air, which was amplified by the event’s high production value, complete with loud music, smoke cannons, LED screens, and a dais helmed by chief minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy, Devendra Fadnavis. The atmosphere was akin to a new-age music festival, with elite runners taking the headline slot.

Some athletes who attempted the amateur 42-km run -- flagged off at 5:15am -- arrived when it was still dark, and were guided to their starting points by an array of searchlights beamed into the sky from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. Volunteers, too, came in early, and many were from far-off suburbs.

Devendra Paliwal, a 20-year-old student from Virar and marathon volunteer, said, “A few of my friends from college came in on the last train to VT in the wee hours of Sunday. We had to kill a few hours on Marine Drive before coming to the marathon. It was fun to have a night out as friends, but also to witness how enthusiastic the crowd is. It was inspiring to see so many people tackle a challenge like this together.”

Many others approached the race with grave seriousness, like Ravi V from the Bengaluru-based running group Jayanagar Jaguars. While this was his sixth time running the Mumbai Marathon, many of his clubmates have run this course over 10 times, while some newer entrants were only just making their debut. Though he did not participate in Elite Athletes race, Ravi is a seasoned endurance runner and one of just four members in his club who recently trained in Kenya under the tutelage of Eluid Kipchoge, regarded as the greatest marathoner of all time.

“The energy of this event is so palpable that it makes me rate this as higher as the Big Sur in California, USA. Public support motivates you to go on during the last leg of the race when your body has almost given up. It’s an incredible feeling. There’s something special about Bombay and the people here,” Ravi said at the finish line, nursing his sore legs with an ice pack.

There were also some comical moments too. At the finish line near Bombay Gymkhana, around 9:30am, a visibly distressed young gentleman, who had finally finished running the 10-km half marathon, drenched in sweat, acerbically remarked to HT, “I feel like I am going to die. I didn’t want to do this. My team from work is running to impress my boss, so I had no choice. Please don’t use my name.” Meanwhile, another participant, Sarthak Malani, found a way around a particularly bad knee injury by running the entire half-marathon backwards, chatting with the runners behind him.

The runners made up a markedly diverse crowd, comprising senior citizens, champions with disabilities, foreign nationals, amateur and professional endurance runners, government employees, defence personnel, and those representing various corporations and charities. Even BMC commissioner Iqbal Chahal, who is due to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday, took part in the 21-km half marathon, and proudly remarked to the press about the absence of potholes on the race route between CSMT and Worli.

Others, participating in adjunct races, ran in costume, or raised slogans and waved banners in support of social causes. About 25 doctors from the Indian Medical Association (IMA), for example, ran in the senior citizen’s race to spread awareness of the importance of organ donations. Among them were ex-IMA president Dr Rajendra Trivedi (75), president Dr Annil Avhad, and joint secretary Dr Pragji Vaja, who has donated blood 99 times.

“The bystanders were doing a great job of motivating us to give our best. At many places, when we stopped to take a break or slowed down, we had the chance to chat with them and educate them on the importance of donating one’s organs to science,” Dr Ahvad said.

All in all, the event was not without its hiccups. The queues for medals, for example, became extremely congested, especially after participants began completing the popular 10km run between 9 and 10am. Atul Shah, a runner from Santacruz who spoke to HT complained of a mix-up that he had not been able to reconcile, due to which he was unable to run alongside his wife in the half-marathon. “We both registered for it, but for whatever reason, my name came in the 10K run. My wife has already started running from Mahim. I have to wait a couple of hours for the 10K run to start now. Can’t say it’s not disappointing,” Shah remarked.

With all the pedestrian traffic floating in and out of South Mumbai, CSMT station, too, saw larger than usual crowds for a Sunday morning. Runners who had come from as far as Panvel, Dombivali, Navi Mumbai and beyond filled up the coaches that are otherwise more sparsely occupied on the weekend. They were tired, but their faces also betrayed how pleased they were with themselves.