MUMBAI MARATHON: THE ALSO-RANS
Mumbai never ceases to amaze me. After two stints in this city, totalling eleven years, I have yet to get to the core of this place and find out what makes it tick. Just when I get complacent and smirk to myself, thinking I’ve sorted it out, it turns around and smacks me in the face. I’m left with egg on the face like Ponting after Perth, but the feeling is not really bad, just educating.
I have always had a sneaking suspicion that all the razzmatazz and glamour associated with this metro is largely the brainchild of busy spin-doctors in the media, quick on the draw with happy hyperbole. Most celebrity events are hyped to the gills, made to order for a TV audience, eager to swallow whatever’s flung at it by hysterical anchors. Well, generally I am not too far off the mark, but what unfolded on Sunday, 20 January 2008 was an eye-opener.
It all started with a call from Nargis. She proposed that we, the bloggers who make up SUMBA take part in the Mumbai Marathon. I agreed immediately. One, it’s always a pleasure to meet the gang. Two, this was a golden opportunity to be there and see if substance met hype, at least halfway. And boy! Was I flabbergasted? The Mumbai Marathon is all that it is portrayed to be and more. The papers the next day said that about 35,000 people took part, but it appeared much much more. So we took part in the six kilometre “Dream Run”. All I can say is that I was there… rather, we were there and we also ran.
Without further ado, let me allow the pics to speak. They speak far more eloquently than I ever can.
Felt good to wear this…
the last time I wore something like this was twenty-five years ago, in school.
The starting point. You can see the crowd building up. This was for the Dream Run. The athletes taking part in the Half & Full Marathon had started much earlier.
The city was making no bones about littering, but some animal lovers could get shirty
Had that been an Indian flag and had she been Sania…
It’d rained fatwas, but it wasn’t and she isn’t…. thank God for small mercies
Bhajji had his supporters… here was a Symonds look-alike telling a different story
And this chap…
Some NGOs out to save the Earth
The colours were amazing… there were groups from Software companies, NGOs, manufacturers, etc
And this was just a fraction of the crowd;
In the holding area before the start of the Dream Run of 6 Km
We are flagged off… and who’s there to do that? Our old friends, John Abraham & Bipasha Basu. They seem to be following us around
Somewhere beside them on the stage, we also spied the Police Commissioner, Sheriff & Mayor of Mumbai, but sadly, nobody was looking at them… ahh, these priorities!
The route is very scenic…we start at VT and go towards Flora fountain
Flora Fountain, High Court, Mumbai University…
We turn towards Churchgate, Marine Drive
Talk of the Town… Nana Chudasama’s banner
Marine Drive.. You can see the Air-India logo partly hidden
She’s taking a much-needed breather at the halfway stage
Some local colour: Marathi babes in nine-yard sarees
Can the Gujjus be far behind? Not really…
Sant Tukaram made it to the marathon too
The media was at full strength: the Radio Mirchi booth
The open top Double-decker for journalists
The CNN-IBN booth along Marine Drive
The Navy was pressed into service too. Journalists, video-shooting using a Navy chopper
They sure churned it up that day
The Fun element:
I don’t know about Mumbai, but this guy sure needed help
I’m only using DHL from now on…
MTV was there too… jamming up a storm
And the runners? Yes, they were definitely there. This was a marathon after all. Now, let me see…. Hmmm… where were the runners?
From the Sulekha ranks, Nargis, Svengali, Pratishtha, Tarun, Ekta & me were there.
Swelling the ranks were my wife & bachcha, Nargis’s daughter and Ekta’s friend.
All in all, we had a ball.
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What fun ! Maybe we can organise BUMS for the bangalore marathon !
Santosh
enthu cutlet
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BB: Knowing our gang... did you think we actually ran?
We strolled... but we completed the six kilometre course. The next morning it felt like 12 km... :-))
cheers,
Keshav
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Tell me something Keshav; did you people run? or stroll? or brisk walked?
one occasion when i can happily say i don't wish i were there. too much of a crowd to enjoy anything( for me.)
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Meera: Thanks...yeah, that guy happily posed for us. There were so many characters there. Nargis has a snap of a Charlie Chaplin lookalike too... :-)
It was fun :-)
cheers,
Keshav
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Keshav
Colorful, looks like lot of fun. Help Mumbai was cool...so he posed for you? :)))
Meera
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Narensomu: Thanks...
Just don't remind me of that waking up part. Even that Bunty drags us out of bed at ungodly hours to watch birds. :-) 
)
(Actually it's good fun in the end, but comes at a cost
cheers,
Keshav
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Keshav
Also ran? Please also run some more whenever you can and post such wonderful photos plus captions.Sundays are meant for getting up early wonly.
btw, glad to see Bollywood's BP and JA together again.
Regards
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Dimwit: thanks... and yes, we had ourselves a blast alright :-)
And the DHL babes were purely props. Lots of companies had put up stalls on the way. What better way to get the eyeballs.... and the other kind too...
cheers,
Keshav
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Sujatha: Thanks... ya, it was fun... It was the first time for all of us, so we really didn't know what to expect. Only my kid was slightly disappointed as he actually wanted to run... :-)) Later, he also got into the groove of things...
cheers,
Keshav
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BS Keshav,
Wow - sounds like a great fun time for all :) Why are the DHL girls in skirts and heels?! For a marathon??!!! LOL - looks odd...
I like the pic you put in comments - that old guy in the orange shorts and lime shirt is outta this world!!! ROFL...
Cheers
Dimwit
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