‘Selfies’ could be banned at Mumbai marathon

Runners at this year’s Hong Kong marathon go past the start line

A rather strange chain reaction of events took place at the Hong Kong marathon this year that resulted in a freak accident.

A female participant at the marathon, just before the start of the race, stopped to take a picture of herself. Unfortunately, she dropped her phone, and when she bent over to pick it up, the runners behind tripped and fell over her causing chaos and utter mayhem.

Having been witness to such an incident, the organisers at the Hong Kong marathon have launched a strict anti-selfie campaign from next year onward to prevent such freak accidents, reports the TOI.

Authorities have realised that a total ban on mobile phones would be impractical and would anyway not be fool-proof. So, they have taken to TV and various radio and social media channels to spread the word and raise awareness.

This development could well be a feature at the next Mumbai marathon back home too, as the marathon is witness to huge crowds and any such acts would serve as potential hazards to the safety of the participants and volunteers.

Tara Sharma, marathon runner and actrees, speaking to TOI agreed.

“I think selfies during marathons should be stopped as you are putting several people in harm’s way. I personally have never taken a selfie during the marathon and I have been running since its inception in this city 10 years ago. I love a good run, so anyone standing in the way, wouldn’t be appreciated! Also, usually there are loads of photographers or friends cheering who could take a photo of someone running,” she said.

Actress Gul Panag, also an active marathon runner, believes that stopping people is easier said than done.

“Selfies while running can be dangerous as it can cause a pile up. However, it’s a tough ban to implement in India as it is nearly impossible to enforce. In addition, we are habitual rule breakers,” she said.