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Mumbai might be known for its heat-killing monsoons, historic underworld, Sachin Tendulkar and much more, but all that is going to take a back seat on Sunday as the city is all set to host the largest marathon in Asia.
More than 40,000 participants will graze the roads of Mumbai this time around, with some looking to get a share of the whopping $360,000 which is up for grabs while others will sweat it out just to be part of the grand event.
What the categories are
The inspiring stories
But being the richest race in India ain’t the only attractive factor for the marathon; it also boasts five different categories which ensure that everyone from the age of 12 to infinity and beyond gets a chance to have the run of their life.
The categories include the Marathon, the half marathon, the Dream Run, the Senior Citizens Race and the Champions with Disability.
The marathon being the main event has the longest track which spans almost 43 kilometers. The half-marathon lives up to its names every time and spans almost 21 kilometers which is half of the actual marathon in case you didn’t notice. The Dream Marathon will cause lesser pain to the legs at 6 kilometers. Meanwhile the Senior Citizens run is limited to runners above the age of 60 which will have a course of 4.3 kilometers.
The most inspiring category however will be the Champions with Disability, a 2.4 km race for the unsung heroes in society.
Humanitarian Grounds
Running for a cause
Apart from this, one factor that makes the Mumbai Marathon eligible for being grouped with the biggest races in the world, is that it upholds the four major pillars that are needed for a marathon. Ever since its inception, the marathon was built around these pillars which are international pride and prestige to the host city, health and fitness, communal harmony and charity.
The charity part needs to be highlighted more as it clearly takes centre stage most of the time. This year’s event has already roped in 16 crores for 269 NGOs with the amount expected to inflate further after the eventual conclusion of the event. It also incorporates a dream team for the charity purpose which is usually made up of celebrities, Bollywood stars and many other big names. And in turn this type of fund raising gives the race a tag of being the nation’s largest charity platform as well.
The way we Run
The Marine Drive
The marathon is heaven for a die-hard fan of Mumbai city, not only because it carries all the glam and sham of Mumbai, but it touches almost every monumental location which lies on the map.
The marathon kicks off near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Railway Terminus and travels along locations like Chowpaty, Haji Ali, Mahim Church, Flora Fountain and my personal favorite, the Marine Drive. Having such iconic places in the background while running the largest marathon in Asia is good enough to give Forrest Gump a run for his money.
A few good men
The Celeb Attraction
Another thing which propels and consolidates the international status of the Mumbai Marathon is its sponsorships and partners. Standard Chartered has been the title sponsor from 2004 while TCS is an associate sponsor.
The list of partners includes the big names such as Star Sports, BMW, Kingfisher, DHL etc. and is also supported by the Indian Navy and Maharashtra Government.
Former Formula One driver, Damon Hill, was the lucky one to be this year’s International Ambassador while Bollywood actor John Abraham is an official event ambassador. Last year the likes of Preity Zinta, Gul Panag, Juhi Chawla, Tina Ambani, Vivek Oberoi, Rahul Bose, Dia Mirza, Anil Ambani and Kalki Koechlin all made their appearance for the marathon which opens the door for much bigger names this time around.
For the Athletes
Jackson Kiprop
There is not going to be any shortage of big names at the Mumbai Marathon when it comes to celebrities, but the fact is the chances of these big names winning the race is as slim as the microorganisms which crawl inside our body.
And this leaves us with the legitimate athletes who get into the marathon with the aim of actually winning it. It gives the athletes in India a chance to gel with ones from around the world as well as giving them an opportunity to qualify for the Olympics.
Thus this time as well, many will trying to follow the feats of Ram Singh Yadav, who qualified for the London Olympics by clocking an impressive time in 2012.
Speaking of the foreigners, they have been keeping the Indians away from the title so far. Last year Uganda’s Jackson Kiprop roped the prize money and went home with the record time in the marathon’s 9-year history. The Indians will have a tough time matching up to these iron men and women but you never know what a proud Indian could do with the backing of the crowd.
What is it all about?
Plethora of emotions
All the things mentioned above might be an integral part of the Mumbai Marathon but the truth is it’s actually bigger than all that.
The race is going to showcase various dimensions and levels of human life as each individual will be running for an entirely different purpose. From ‘dabbawalahs’ to people who rule the country, expect everyone to be present at the place with a purpose of their own as mentioned earlier.
Some will run to be recognized as Indians, some will run to make their parents proud, some aiming the Olympics while others will do it just for fun; whatever it might be the culmination of all these emotions is going to set the streets of Mumbai on fire this Sunday so watch out for one of the biggest sporting spectacles of India.
