Monday, January 22, 2007

Run Mumbai Run !!

I felt proud at being a part of the Mumbai Marathon this sunday. It was a spectacular display of corporate revelry and citizenship. Mumbai looks beautiful while running - it is running daily in any case - but this time people were running for somewhat selfless reasons. Daily people push and jostle with each other for a window seat in the local train or a piece of floor in the compartment just sufficient to put a foot. At times folks are expressionless as the cast of 'City of the dead' but still living in Mumbai one can know very soon that it has got a heart - just ask for directions from someone and he would make sure that you are on the correct bus / train and people in general are there to help except for the autorick walaa who would want the best slice of your skin.
Apart from the gorgeous Kingfisher and Standard Chartered cheer leaders there were other feel-good sights as well like the persons on wheelchair (some of them very beautifully dressed) and some Amrish Puri style dads pushing and ecouraging there kids - run beta run only the last kilometer is left !! .
I was not aware of the enormous amount of charity that gets generated through this.The runners can get corporates to sponsor you and the money gets donated to various NGOs. It makes it even more worthwhile to run - you run for your health, for revelry, for fun, for citizenship and for a noble cause. This time we were running for no cause or may be
there was a subliminal cause of being associated with the society.

1 comment:

Neha said...

Nice to know the Mumbai spirit...personally, I have never taken part of any Marathon competition, but surely this time, when the Bangalore Marathon takes place, I shall run.