Bangalore 10k run: Running with Wipro's Parag Kulkarni

Mr. Parag Kulkarni is the Vice President and Business Head of Commercial Lighting and Furniture Business, Wipro. Mr. Kulkarni will be taking part in the TCS Bangalore Marathon 2012 on Sunday, May 27^th and has spared some time from his busy schedule to share his thoughts on his participation in one of the most anticipated events of the year.

Q. First, tell us a bit about yourself. How interested are you in running, and in sports in general?

Kulkarni: I’m a senior managerial consultant at Wipro. I’ve been working at Wipro for the last 19 years. I’m very passionate about running and I’ve been running regularly for a long time now. I’ve also run with my son in the marathon before. In the past month, I’ve seen a phenomenal rise in the number of people jogging daily in the morning, and I believe that the whole city waits for this event to come around every year. The spirit is mesmerizing and awe inspiring. It’s wonderful to see so many people, old and young alike, participating with so much enthusiasm and run not for the sake of winning, but for the excitement of the marathon. I also love Tennis and I play it whenever possible, usually during my free time and during weekends.

Parag Kulkarni, Senior VP & Business Head of Commercial Lighting and Furniture Business, Wipro

Q. Do you regularly run marathons or is this your first time?

Kulkarni: I’ve been running regularly for the last 5-6 years as I believe it helps me stay fit. I also run in the Wipro marathon.

Q. Which category of the marathon are you running in? Is Wipro sending a corporate team and does it encourage your employees to run?

Kulkarni: I’m participating in the Open 10k run, which is open for people who are 15 and older. My son will also be running in this marathon. Wipro will be sending a corporate team for the corporate challenge and yes, we do encourage employees to run , and we have our own running events all across the country and even abroad.

Q. How would you encourage more young people to participate in the marathon?

Kulkarni: Among the youngsters that I’ve interacted with, I’ve noticed that a lot of them are in the right state of mind about their health. They want to be fit and perfectly healthy just like the general trend today. Not only the youngsters, but a lot of senior people and the employees of Wipro have the right state of mind about it. They respect their bodies and eat healthily.

Q. How are you preparing for the marathon? Have you been following a particular diet?

Kulkarni: I’ve been frequenting the gym, running for 5-6 kms every day and most of all, I do not follow any specific diet. I believe in eating healthily and not the junk food that a lot of people eat, as it affects your system. Eating healthy food is far better than following any diet.

Kulkarni: I, as an individual, am not associated with any of the numerous charities associated with the marathon. I’m sure that the company could be associated with such, but I do not know much about that.

Q. Are you aiming to finish within a particular time limit?

Kulkarni: I am not aiming to win the marathon, but I would like to finish the race in under an hour. I feel it would be a great achievement to do so, and I would also like to finish ahead of my son!

Q. Do you have a message for all our readers who are interested in running or are participating in the marathon? Do you feel that just running in one marathon a year is sufficient?

Kulkarni: I believe a lot more people should participate to indulge in the spirit of the marathon and to maintain their overall body health. It would be great to see a lot more people turning out for the marathon. I feel that having just one major marathon a year isn’t enough and I believe that having three major marathons would be sufficient. A marathon every four months would get people to run on a more regular basis, and would enable them to train regularly without getting burnt out.

Thank you for talking with Sportskeeda.com, Mr. Kulkarni and we wish you all the very best for the marathon and we hope you beat your son!