Join IIT-B's race to better yourself

Rohini Malkani is prepared to run even if it rains on Sunday morning. The chief economist of Citigroup will participate in the fifth i-Race, a unique competition organised by the Indian Institutes of Technology.

Rohini Malkani is prepared to run even if it rains on Sunday morning.

HT Image

The chief economist of Citigroup will participate in the fifth i-Race, a unique competition organised by the Indian Institutes of Technology.

The two-year-old event, based on a mathematical model, is catching on as a race for intellectuals. A participant competes against his own physical limit, calculated on the basis of his height, weight, gender and age.

Earlier, participants were largely from within the IIT fraternity. But the science of the race is attracting a growing number — including doctors and entrepreneurs — of non-IITians.

"I am not a serious runner, but the mathematical concept intrigued me," said Malkani.

"More and more people from outside the IITs are participating in i-Race. It is not about going from one point to another. Someone can finish first but still not win because he did not match his potential," said Madhur Kotharay, an IIT-B alumnus who conceptualised the race.

Orthopedic surgeon Dr Avinash Prabhudesai will be tracking calculations on the IIT-B website to know how he has fared.

"The fact that people are running in different cities makes it more interesting," said the head of Sushrut Hospital.