The Mumbai Marathon has been scheduled for May 30 this year, with the running community divided over the wisdom of the decision to have the race at the time as it is peak summer.
This picture has been used for representational purpose
The Mumbai Marathon has been scheduled for May 30 this year, with the running community divided over the wisdom of the decision to have the race at the time as it is peak summer.
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First up, we must clarify that participation is voluntary. A top running coach told this paper that nobody is going to come and garland you and break a coconut exhorting you to run; participation is entirely up to a person. We must also stress that the full marathon will have limited participation so expect the seasoned, fast runners to be at the starting line for the searing 42-km distance.
There will, of course, still be those who say that even with competition caveats and caution, the event should have been held during the rains.
Now though that the date is fixed, there should be added responsibility on race organisers to ensure a safe run.
There have to be more water stations, even for limited numbers. Medical ground personnel should be increased. There should be ice, sponges and water sprays. We have seen some quibbles where people have talked about ice and sponge supply getting exhausted by the time slow runners arrive. Let there be more than enough stock for all runners.
The route may also be tweaked, in consultation with experts, so that runners get to run in a cooler zone with green cover, no matter how sparse it may be.
The competitors must train in the heat. They need to acclimatise, make allowances for slower timings and let coaches and mentors guide them. The overarching theme through the pandemic has been safety, let us stretch it to the city’s most celebrated long-distance running event.
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