How an Udupi waiter made it to marathons across the globe

Despite a meagre monthly salary of ₹ 15,000, Shetty has managed to keep his passion alive for the last 15 years on determination, which has led him to participate in international events in Brunei, New Zealand, Australia, Sri Lanka and Indonesia

Mumbai: On October 11, as the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena was celebrating the flaming torch as its election symbol, a small tribute went almost unnoticed.

“Yeh ek nasha hai; subah utho aur bhaago,” said Shetty, who came to Mumbai from a village in Karnataka in 1993. After working in small establishments for a few years, he got a job at Udupi to Mumbai, where he continues to work. (HT Photo)

The symbol was allotted to the party on October 10 and the next evening, a small group of Shiv Sainiks gathered at the Mumbadevi temple in south Mumbai on motorbikes. As their engines revved and slogans were raised, a wiry man with a set face raised a torch in his hands, bowed his head in obeisance and started running.

With proud Shiv Sainiks trailing him on their bikes, he ran all the way from the temple to the Hutatma Chowk. The runner was no celebrity or a trained athlete – Shivanand Shetty (46) is waiter with an Udupi restaurant, Udupi to Mumbai, in Zaveri Bazaar.

Shetty, a running enthusiast, is a veteran of over 450 marathons, of which he has completed 150 races with a podium finish. Despite a meagre monthly salary of ₹ 15,000, Shetty has managed to keep his passion alive for the last 15 years on determination, which has led him to participate in international events in Brunei, New Zealand, Australia, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

“Yeh ek nasha hai; subah utho aur bhaago,” said Shetty, who came to Mumbai from a village in Karnataka in 1993. After working in small establishments for a few years, he got a job at Udupi to Mumbai, where he continues to work. It is also the place where his journey as a marathoner began.

In 2006, while on an errand to the Standard Chartered Bank, he learnt about that year’s Standard Chartered Marathon. It piqued his interest and the next day Shetty paid the ₹300 entry fee and signed up as a participant, unsure of what he was taking on at the time. He reached the venue late whereupon he was given a handbag containing the time chip and the bib. “I did not know what to do with it. I ran the entire race with the bag in my left hand!” said Shetty.

Along the way, he came across business tycoon Anil Ambani running with a small group. A star-struck Shetty ran a few metres close to Ambani, and woke up the next morning to find his picture alongside Ambani in the newspapers.

There was a more significant takeaway: Shetty, who had enrolled in the 42-kilometre category, managed to run 21 kms in his first attempt.

Overwhelmed by the achievement, he started participating in the half marathon every year. In 2009 he enrolled for a full marathon as running on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link (BWSL) was a major hook. Next stops were the Tata Mumbai Marathon, Delhi Half Marathon, TCS World 10K Run in Bangalore and Tata Steel Kolkata 25K.

During one of the events, he met Satyabhama Ronald, a Western Railways employee, who holds several records in running. Ronald became his guide, and as Shetty said, “her one phone call motivates you a lot.”

Shetty’s journey was not without challenges, though. In 2019 on a trip to the Capital to participate in the Delhi Half Marathon, imposters in sports gear offered to share an auto ride with him, saying like him, they were out to collect the bib for the next day’s run. After a short distance, one of them sprayed what seemed a freshener in the air, to clear a foul odour. “When I started coughing, they gave me a soft drink and water. I drank it and woke up the next day on a footpath. I had been unconscious for 24 hours. They fled with my cash, ATM card, phone and running shoes. I lost ₹30,000, but most importantly, could not participate in the race,” said Shetty.

Next week was a Brunei track and field race. “Satyabhama motivated me to participate – it was an opportunity for me to go abroad and win some medals,” he said. Shetty won silver medals in 3000, 1500 and 800 meters.

“He is a very hardworking man; unfortunately, he started participating in races late. He works throughout the day in the hotel, travels in the general compartment of a mail train throughout the night and the next day runs the marathon. He doesn’t have sponsors, nor sufficient money but has lot of determination,” said Satyabhama.

His dedication and drive are an inspiration to his colleagues, who marvel at his spirit. Well-wishers aid him along the way. As Ajit Gadanayak, a waiter who works with Shetty said, “He doesn’t have money to buy expensive shoes, nor enough to pay the entry fee in time for a race. His relatives pitch in at times, while some of us at the restaurant also make contributions, as we respect him so much.”

In fact, Anant Ambani, industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s son, helped him financially twice when Shetty was set to participate in international events. “His struggle with money will continue, but he will always stick to his goal,” added Gadanayak.

Impressed by his grit, bodies such as NEB Sports, that organises marathons, let him participate gratis. “I help them with other work after participating in the marathon,” said Shetty.

Shetty, Gadanayak and a few others from the restaurant live in a 23rd floor flat in Byculla, given by the owner of the restaurant. Shetty uses the staircase for exercise. Bicycle rides to south Mumbai to pick up groceries and vegetables for the restaurant are his cardio. “He even visits our other hotels and canteen in Panvel and the western suburbs on a bicycle. He says it keeps him fit,” said Gadanayak.

Shetty does not have enough to fund for expensive nutritional supplements but he eats chickpeas and drinks at least 10 litres of water daily to stay fit.

“I want to win more medals, especially now that I am in the 45 to 55 age group. I want to keep the rhythm going on,” said Shetty.