Carl Lewis' presence at TCS World 10K Bangalore 2014 promises to add glitter to an already carnival-like race

We have all heard of Carl Lewis, and his fame is the stuff of legend. And this 18th May, the icon steps foot in Namma Bengaluru as the Event Ambassador for the TCS World 10K Bangalore 2014.

What do you need to do to get a glimpse of the legend? Well, if you are in the 15-24 age category, you can attend the Nike+ Run Club at Nike Brigade Road Store on May 3rd from 6 am to 12 pm, where you can find out more.

And as you probably know already, winners in the 15-24 age category at the race will get a chance to run at an international location sponsored by Nike. When you have all these incentives in store, why would you let such an opportunity go to waste?

For the uninitiated, here’s a bit more about Lewis: he stands 6 ft 3 inches tall, and is widely regarded as the fastest sprinter of the 1980′s . His main events were the 100m and 200m sprints and the long jump. His PBs in these events are 9.86 s, 19.75 s and 8.87m respectively.

Over the span of his career (1979-1997), Lewis, a Nike athlete, won a total of 10 Olympic medals (9 gold) and 10 World Championship medals (8 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze) . He was also awarded the title of ‘IOC Sportsman of the Century’ and ‘IAAF World Athlete of Century’ (1999). Sports Illustrated even called him the “Olympian of the Century”.

Not only is Lewis a stellar athlete, he also brought with him winds of change. He was instrumental in transforming track and field from its nominal amateur statu. to its current professional status in the USA, which helped athletes have more lucrative and longer-lasting careers. Steve Prefontaine, another Nike athlete, had initiated this process, and he along with Lewis perfectly embody the ‘athlete of substance’ concept.

Taking his signatory style beyond athletics, Lewis has also actively appeared in numerous films and television productions and has made baby steps into the world of American politics. He is also a UN Goodwill ambassador. And here’s another interesting quality about him that will appeal to a lot of Indians – he is a vegan!

It is very exciting to know that an accomplished athlete with a well-rounded personality will be the face of the TCS World 10K Bangalore 2014. With world-class athletes, Olympians and celebrity runners in the picture, magnanimous prizes and the sense of celebration surrounding the event, I still need to get around to the fact that this is a race and not a carnival!

Here is a little more info about the Nike+ Run Club:

http://youtu.be/JWK9Ht71ANc