Marathon women

It was heartening to see thousands of energetic and enthusiastic women, young, old and very old, turn up at the crack of dawn at the Bandra-Kurla Complex to run in India’s first ever women’s half marathon.

The causes this half marathon championed (girl child education, cervical cancer awareness, and women’s safety in public places) clearly struck a chord with women across the board. If you were present at the venue last morning, you would have seen a fair mix of women cutting across class and socio-economic strata making their way to the finish line with determination. Housewives in salwar kameezes, socialites in the latest sporting gear, students, professionals and foreigners ran side by side, ensuring this event was truly an inclusive one.

For many women, running this half marathon and its allied 10km and 5km runs was not so much about the urge to win but about taking time out from household and office work and from precious time with family to create some ‘me’ time in support of causes that mattered to them. It was also about their ability to prove to themselves that they could complete something they had set their hearts on. They did, and how.

It is clear that a half marathon exclusively for women should have been flagged off in India years ago. In marathons across the world, on an average, for every three men, there is only one woman running. That this event saw such a huge turnout in its first year itself is evidence that Mumbai’s women were waiting for an event dedicated exclusively to them and their causes. By turning up in large numbers, they gave it a big, fat stamp of approval.

Thank you, ladies. We’ll see you next year.