Dream run not fun for the feeble

There was something for everyone at the Sabarmati Marathon 2010. Along with a full marathon and a half marathon, there was a moderate 6-km run for the aam Amdavadi as well! Named the ‘Ahmedabad Dream Run’, this one was supposedly custom-made for those who’re not particularly fit, but still wanted to give the marathon a try.

Sadly though, much of the participants’ enthusiasm fizzled out at the beginning itself. The Dream Run ended up a nightmarish ‘walk’ for many, who couldn’t take the strain. One can’t entirely blame them though - unless you were physically fit, this one was bound to prove a tall order.

Needless to say, several of the ‘runners’ were panting at the end of the first couple of kilometres. The juice stalls along the route saved the day for them, as did the fact that they could leave mid-way when they realised they wouldn’t be able to make it.

What made for a remarkable Senior citizens put youths to shame

If you thought senior citizen’s races were a lacklustre affair, think again. Some senior citizens ran through the distance of 4.5 km during the Ahmedabad marathon easily and at the finish looked as fresh as they were before the race.

The cold morning did not seem to trouble them. The 63-year-old winner of the senior citizen’s race, Dr Rajan Sonerao, who looks like the actor Dharmendra, was a source of envy for many youngsters "I practice throughout the year. The morning’s cold was hardly a problem for me," he said. Sonerao had also won three gold medals in the master athletics meet held in Haryana earlier this year.

The oldest half-marathoner from the city, 68-year-old Kanaiyalal Tripathi, finished the half marathon of 21km in fine fettle.

Chants of ‘Come on, kaka’ encouraged him as he kept a steady pace. Along the way, many others were motivated by seeing him run. A group of three businessmen, who finished the race, said they owed it to kaka.

NCC cadets do a smashing job

The ones who did the most commendable job at the Sabarmati Marathon were undoubtedly the NCC cadets deputed on the job.

They took their positions as early as at 4 am, and throughout the day, it was they who alerted the police about the arrival of athletes at traffic junctions. And this was despite the fact that they had no technological support, such as walkie-talkies or other gadgets.

However, the moment they spotted an athlete approaching, they blew on whistles and vigorously waved their hands, to apprise the cops about the arrival of the athletes. Ultimately, these signals reached the police and had the traffic halted in time. Three cheers to the cadets!

‘What is a marathon?’

After all the trouble taken by CM Modi’s PRO to promote the Sabarmati Marathon, there still were people ignorant of the concept. The proof?

When the runners were crossing Vallabh Sadan on Ashram Road in the morning, daily commuters began curiously asking the traffic cops present at the spot, as to what the hullabaloo was all about. When they were told it was the marathon, they replied, "What is a marathon?" Needless to say, the cops’ stern look kept them moving ahead! 

‘But this is so unsafe!’

While the desis were busy sweating it out at the run, there was a worried firangi in the audience, watching the day’s proceedings in silence.

Catherine, who flew in from the US, was appalled at the way traffic had to be physically tackled each time a runner was headed towards the finishing line.

"I have never seen such a thing in my life. Why don’t they just stop the traffic on this route? This is so unsafe!" she was heard exclaiming. Well, this might be one of the suggestions being implemented at the next marathon.

Flashing their branded gear

The Dream Run was not just a fitness exercise - in fact, at times, it appeared as if the health angle was incidental! The run proved just the right occasion for several Amdavadis to flaunt their latest wardrobe acquisitions.

From ‘hi-fi’ jogging shoes to branded apparel, a lot of what the citizens were ‘sporting’ looked like it was meant to impress.

Number cards became souvenirs

The ‘number cards’, given to all the participants, became a sort of a souvenir for them. It was seen that even after the Dream Run was over, few people had taken it off - most had carefully kept it with them, as a reminder of this year’s event and as a token to remind them to do better next time.