Senior citizens wanted medals, too

Shankar Natha Pawar, 91, seemed upset despite 'winning' the senior citizens' run in the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 2011 on Sunday. Reason: This category was an honorary event with no medals.

Shankar Natha Pawar, 91, seemed upset despite 'winning' the senior citizens' run in the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 2011 on Sunday. Reason: This category was an honorary event with no medals. "I practised for over a month and when I won, I wasn't even given the opportunity to click a picture with Tina Ambani and Shilpa Shetty," the ex-army officer from Satara said.

HT Image

Among the 1,800 participants in the category were 15 nonagenarians who reached the finish line of the 4.3-km stretch. "This is my third marathon and it was a cake walk for me," said Shalini Chirkutkar, 94, the oldest participant on the course.

Jaywanti Kadam, 90, echoed Chirutkar's sentiment. "I will keep coming back till the time I am healthy and can walk," Kadam said.

The Senior Citizens' Run, supported by 'Harmony for Silvers Foundation', helped highlight several issues including inflation, corruption and organ donation. Some seniors complained about the mismanagement. "In spite of paying a Rs 200 registration fee and reaching the base camp an hour early, we were not provided the harmony T-shirts and kits," claimed Avtar Sehgal, 64, an interior designer. "I am not going to come back next year," he added.