Chitoor Marathon report
Marathons (I run
half’s ) are a passion with me ever since running took off in India . I have
run around 14 in the last 3 years.
“After all “, one
of my friends said, “when you are old what else can you do? Tennis and badminton require a partner, golf a course and swimming a pool! This just
needs a road. “
Apparently even
footwear is optional as barefoot running has caught on in a big way.(Some
athletes pay upwards of Rs 5000 to buy a shoe to give them that barefoot feel.)
So I was thrilled
when CMC (where I have lived since 1969)
decided to organize a half marathon. They wanted to popularize their new campus
in Chitoor.
The development
department invited many people for their first meeting. There were professors in
various disciplines, people of stature in the town, all kinds of knowledgeable
individuals. None of them had ever run a marathon or even witnessed one.
“Perhaps”, I suggested,
“some of you can run? The Bangalore TCS 10 K is coming up. Why don’t you
register? You will know what it is all about.”
Two people
registered. They decided to reach the venue “on time.”
Roads were
blocked, they reached late and were finally allowed to run after much pleading.
This was not going
to work.
“Perhaps you need
a consultant. I suggested various groups and they settled on “Running and
Living.”
They fixed the
marathon for a Saturday with bib collection on Thursday. There were howls of
protests, from the runners.
“We cannot take
off Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Why can’t it be on a Sunday?”
“CMC has no
official functions on Sunday.” My statement was met with disbelief.
“Look, “ I said
just email me. I will pick up the racing kits for all of you.”
A few responded ,but
many people dropped out as the date
approached.
The night before
the marathon, it rained heavily in Chitoor. They organized some earth moving
machinery to clear a path for the runners. It made matters worse. There were potholes
filled with water and slushy slippery areas. The direction signs had slipped
and some now faced heaven wards.
We reached the
venue in semi darkness. We looked at the path designated. It was full of rocks,
boulders and slush. The scenery was breath-taking but the path ( in the places
where there was a path) a nightmare. Volunteers and water stations were few and
far between. (I had confidently told my friends not to carry water!). Some
volunteers did not know where we were supposed to go. If asked for directions
they vaguely waved their arms around.
A few of us wandered around an area with slush
and no path. A runner clapped to get my attention. “Where to? “ He asked.
“I don’t know” I
said.
“Wait I will come
to you.”
He crossed a
treacherous looking boggy area. “Oh God,” he said my shoes are full of water. Maybe
I should remove them?”
“Don’t” I said,
“look at the thorns and rocks.”
We both headed in
what we thought was the general direction. There was not a human being (read
volunteer) in sight.
Finally we could
see the roof of the CMC clinic. “Aha” I said with a sigh of relief, “there it
is.”
As we headed down
hill, I skidded in the slush and went down. My foot got stuck. I pulled it out
only to lose my shoe. I groped in the mud and pulled out a brown mess. That was
my shoe- my expensive imported trail runner. There was no way I could negotiate
the path with thorns and rocks without a shoe. I put it back on. It squished as
I walked. My running pants were soaked in mud and blood. I thought of the years
the area I was running through had been vacant and probably used as a public
toilet. My whole body started to itch.
Apparently we had
to do a second round of the same circuit (how on earth?) after reaching the CMC
clinic.
The route led
through the parking lot. My nice clean
car was there with the driver seated inside.
“Madam” he said
“what happened to you?”
“I fell,” I said
“lets go home.”
As I entered the
car I heard a shout behind me. “Wait up! “Where are you going?” It was the
runner with the wet shoes.
“Home ,”I said, “I
can’t bear it.”
“Can you drop me
off in Vellore?” I can’t bear it either. My car is parked there.”
I have never not completed
a run except this one. Ditto for the wet shoe man. This certainly was the toughest run I ever
attempted.
Hats off and
congratulations to all who finished.
Perhaps we will
see you all there next year.
Dr.
Gita Mathai
The writer is a
paediatrician with a family practice at Vellore.
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