Run for fitness... Run for passion

Hyderabad Runners Society and Bharti Airtel together with the Govt. of Telangana announced that the 8th edition of the annual Airtel Hyderabad Marathon 2018, the annual sporting extravaganza that is gaining massive approval among serious and amateur runners across India and overseas.

This year Airtel Marathon that is going to be held on August 26 announced 22,500 registered participants, among them 6500 to 7000 are women participants, which too is seeing a marked increase. The reasons for increasing popularity include people becoming more health conscious, and the fact that running is increasingly being chosen to stay fit because it is fun, and when it’s a marathon it is like a celebration of the camaraderie among the runners, taking fun to another level.

We spoke to a few regular runners, who spoke about their passion.

Every year she participates but this year she is volunteering. She runs three to four times a week. About Marathon she says, “Marathon is for 42.2 km, then there is a half Marathon, 21km or you can run for 10k and 5k, which are not Marathons. The moment you say Marathon the distance has to be 42.2 km. I have never done a Marathon - the maximum distance I covered was 32 km in one go.”

She started running because few years ago, she had some health issues, she says, “I am an event manager, and, in my industry, I have long hours of work that goes late into the night and I have an erratic food schedule which was contributing to my ill health. I had put on a lot of weight and my back was in a bad shape. I wanted to get back to be fit and I am not a person who goes to the gym. Running is a good sport when you have good company and so I found lot of motivation and encouragement. I started running for my health and started enjoying it. I have done 25 Half Marathons and enjoyed the four hours of fitness.

“One should listen to your body while you’re running; if you feel dizzy then just walk. Drink lot of water that is important and eat healthy food that can make you fit,” she cautions.

Life definitely changes after running she says, “It makes one disciplined, punctual and accommodating. This is a sport where you are competing with your own self because you want to do well. The advantage of being a runner is you want your partner to run with you. So, it makes you a team player and social among people. It also makes you calm by never giving up.”

Harini adds, “There is no age limit. You start as late as possible. I started running when I was 38 and now I am 42 and I am still running. The older people do very well in running because it is all about endurance and patience.”
-Harini Ganti, Event manger, volunteer at Airtel Marathon

This 32-year old runner shares her experience. “I have prior experiences of only 5k run and 5k walkathons So, I planned for 10k run last year, But, many of my friends chose 21k, and so I decided to test my strength. Lot of sweat and mile boards and friends to keep you motivated helped me through the run. I can never forget the moment when I took the medal after finished the race. I was at 2nd place in the women’s category at Optum level during the last year’s Hyderabad Marathon.”

She says, “Whatever race you have selected, just finish. Don’t give up. You may run late in the race, but don’t give up.”
-G Ganga Bhavani, IT Database Analyst