Lessons from The Godfather for the Vadodara Marathon

The 2016 edition of Vadodara International Half Marathon (VIHM) was not different than the previous one. The sole reason why I would like the organizers to watch The Godfather! Some nuggets from the movie for the VIHM guys...

The previous time (2013), the event started much after the scheduled time because the chief guest arrived late & proceeded to give a long speech. This time, the participants had the same fears but the organizers were smart. Firstly, they did not announce any start time (thus, technically, the start was not delayed!). Those who queried (including me) were assured that the 15K & HM would be flagged off before the chief guest's arrival. What happens? The same old story... Reminds one of The Godfather, though I am not aware whether the organizers even apologized (but runners are not gods).

Once upon a time, Vadodara International Marathon (as it was then called) was acclaimed as "Smallest City, Biggest Marathon". I believe, this made the organizers strive for a massive participation every time the event was held. Of course, political compulsions also played a major part in this (let us not dwell on these). But does a large crowd translate into a great event? If one goes by the previous two editions of VIM/VIHM, it’s a big NO! The organizers should realize the runners don’t care for the no. of participants (even if it is a world record) but how the event is conducted (in every respect). And it is the feedback of the runners that makes (or mars) an event's reputation.

The politicians who come to flag off the event may appreciate the large gathering & would be all praise for the organizers for the efforts put in. But are they aware that the crowd put in place are mostly school kids who have been forced to participate by the schools? I doubt it. But the serious runners, who are the heart of such events, who come in at 5:30 AM to find kids in school uniforms are not taken in by such gimmicks. And quite vocal about it too. Especially the outstation ones who compare this with events in their home towns or other places. I will not be surprised if it comes out that there are very few repeat outstation participants at VIHM/VIM.

Had the organizers had along the route while the event was in progress they would have witnessed people waiting at intersections to let the runners pass. The waiting crowds increased with time at practically all intersections. Did someone miss a train? Was someone late for work? Who cares? But people have a life beyond a marathon too, and an equal right to civic infrastructure. You simply can’t inconvenience so many people at a time. One person arriving late & thousands were troubled. For this realization to take place, the organizers have to get off the stage & on the streets. While many runners felt guilty about this, did the organizers also feel so? I don't think so, for this was a repeat of the last edition.

An event organizer’s 1st priority should always be runners. If the runners feel good after an event, they will generate enough positive feedback to bring in more runners the next time round. And once the runners come in, the sponsors are sure to follow (not to speak about the politicians). Somehow, the VIHM organizers work the other way round. They first bring the politicians on board to grace the event flag off, which helps them pull in the sponsors. They get so busy caring for the guests & sponsors that they forget the essence of an event - the runner. Maybe, runners are simply the performing artists in this circus called VIHM.

Many events are filled up even before the 1st posters are put up. Forget about the biggies (SCMM, etc.), some smaller events like Zendurance Nashik (http://runfunetc.blogspot.com/) & Daman Wind Marathon (http://runfunetc.blogspot.in/) have their own set of devoted runners who return religiously year after year. Zendurance doesn't even put up posters in Nasik town about the event, yet the event receives plenty of positive feedback. VIHM makes up for this absence of fan-base by compelling school students to participate in large nos to create records. Well, the records do last!! Which makes one wonder whether the organizers are themselves confident about how the actual event will play out. Least likely, if you ask me.

An event of this magnitude which uses civic infrastructure is not expected to be perfect. There will always be some issues, major or minor, as it is difficult to envisage everything that can go wrong. But to repeat the same old mistakes makes one feel that the organizers are simply not bothered about it. Had the organizers considered the goof ups as a personal insult, they would have ensured the flag off took place as scheduled. Couldn't they have asked the chief guest to give away the prizes which was also a photo-op that the politicians long for? With so many prizes on offer, they could have accommodated more politicians as well as speeches. Alas, the event was just a side show to the flagging off ceremony.

This one is for me (and other runners as well). Here was an event in my hometown, which helped me avoid the hassles of managing logistics for an outstation event. Despite being a small town, here are some people who have worked hard to make this event happen. Shouldn't this event in itself be an occasion to celebrate, rather than cribbing about all that could have been better? Rather than complain about what wasn't, I will enjoy what is, next time the event takes place. Bring on the next edition of VIHM/VIM, I will be there!! (Hope it’s not on 11th December 2016, as that would clash with the Goa River Marathon.)

Picture Credits: SM addicts on Facebook & WhatsApp

Disclaimer: Maybe, not all the above quotes are from The Godfather (but still relevant for VIHM team)

After a Long Wait, the HM returned to Baroda!

This one has to be special, being the hometown run. Also, because this one is so infrequent. The last one was held in 2013, when I did not run (that’s another long story). Suresh Iyer, the conqueror of Mumbai & New York full marathons & umpteen half’s, was specially coming down for this one. Yes, the nostalgia bug is very potent.

This time, they called it the Vadodara International Half Marathon (VIHM). It has always been international, but “Half” was added to the name this time round. They had good advisers this time! I believe they were the Baroda Road Runners (BRR) guys. And as always, this one was also planned to be a big event. The registrations were through either Book My Show (BMS) or the Khel Mahakumbh (KMK) website, the latter offering registrations for free. This is where the story starts… The KMK data wasn’t transferred to the organisers till very late. As a result, many of those who had registered through it did not get their bib nos. even when the bib collection had begun.

I was spared the anxiety as I shelled out the registration fee at BMS, as had Suresh. Early in the morning, I went to collect our bibs to avoid the late rush. They had planned it well. Limited persons were being allowed inside, so that it was a breeze getting the stuff. Going through the contents, I got to really appreciate the thoughtfulness of the organisers. They had packed in a pair of toothbrushes for the participants. This would remind us to brush our teeth while getting ready so that we could flash the whitest of smiles while running!! And adequately compensate the absence of a race jersey. Still, Rs. 750 plus taxes looked a bit on the higher side.

The previous edition had disappointed many city runners & quite a few were not sure whether they wished to participate this time round. The sole reason being a delayed start, because of the late arrival of the chief guest, and the welcome ceremony & series of speeches that followed. This time the event brochure informed the gate closure time of 5:45 AM but was silent on the start time! I admired this professional approach, for it makes no sense to needlessly raise expectations & not deliver. When asked, the volunteers were also non-committal on this aspect. Though, one did assure us (now, this was so unprofessional) that the 21-K & 15-K events will be flagged off even before the Chief Minister arrives. He knew, she would arrive late (or should it be later?).

Taking this seriously, Suresh & I were at the venue by 5:30 AM. Arriving early helps one park easily, as I have said earlier too. Entering the venue, one found a group of school kids (in uniform) already seated. They would have woken up pretty early. Now, a seasoned runner like Suresh takes his pre-run routine seriously. This involves complete stretching & warming up as well as taking a leak twice, the 2^nd time immediately before the start. An empty bladder is a runner’s best friend (see, you learn so much when you go through my posts!). After the warm ups, my routine involves strolling about & catching up with known faces. This is also the selfie time.

I also came across a walking billboard who was pasted all over with sponsors’ logos. Time for a chat with Adil Marawala. He was raising funds for his initiative, wherein the sponsors were donating or rendering services for every km that he completed. The beneficiaries included street kids, homeless & stray animals. You can read more about his work on www.walkawalka.in.

A little after 6:00 AM (whoever said this was the scheduled start time?) we were allowed out of our enclosure. The run is about to begin & we were excited for a start happening so close to schedule. The buses were also ready. We had planned to latch on to the 2:30 bus being chauffeured by Piyush Doshi. But you know what Robert Burns said about the best laid plans of mice & men? That apart, one needs to admire the buses. To actually time your run to the last minute, while following a plan for the entire distance, is something that seems out of this world, at least to me. For them, it appears to be a stroll in the park.

This is what distance running is all about. It helps one to stay focused on the objective. While a bus would aim for perfect execution of the run plan, for someone like Adil, the run is only the vehicle for achieving another objective. Then, there are people like Dina Patel who are clear about what they want. See, she is not even afraid to tell the whole world what it is! Durgesh Merchant also agrees totally with her, as do most of the rest of us. I am sure, Dina was the most cheered runner on the streets. I hope her message reached the right destination.

It was a long wait, because the organisers had decided for a formal flag off by the CM. We should have expected this. One of the organisers is said to be angling for a ticket to contest elections for quite some time now & cannot afford to miss any opportunity to showcase her crowd gathering skills. So what, if this involves forcing school kids to wake up so early on a Sunday & wait for hours to hear boring speeches by politicians? The regular runners did not like it one bit. I met runners who had come from Pune and Bangalore who were not at all pleased with this long wait. In a way, the HM runners were lucky, being the first ones to be flagged off. Which happened a little later than 6:40 AM. In a way, this late start has its good points too. Imagine a big bunch of runners out on the streets when it is still dark. We would unnecessarily wake up the stray dogs & cows & other animals from their well-deserved sleep. Isn’t the Indian philosophy all about respecting all living beings, whatever physical form they have acquired? And what if one of these got annoyed at being so disturbed? I am told that the 5K runners were let off at 7:30. Did they have to endure those netas & wannabe netas for so long?

One fallout of this late start was the need to take a pee break shortly after we began. I did so under the conveniently designed & located Lalbaug bridge. I am beginning to like the route for the run, with such amenities on the way. I was not alone & the organisers seemed to have duly deliberated on the route. Suresh Iyer had moved much ahead during this break, but I did not have much to regret. I came across Suresh Iyengar. Now, here is a guy who was running his 1^st HM, but already had an ultra under his belt!! He also runs at a slow, leisurely pace, which is more to my liking.

Another fallout was the time between warmup & start – over an hour. The body had already cooled down by the time we began. I noticed beginning of cramps. Now, this was trouble with an upper case T. I eased it out while deciding whether to continue or drop out. Ample no. of medical aid stations along the route made it easier. Hydration & medical aid were very well spread out along the route & commend the organisers for this. Reaching Manisha Chokdi, came across the BRR cheer gang of Reni George, Ajay Sharma & Shalini Sharma. Reni also doubled up as the photographer. Later, they took over the traffic handling responsibilities too, as this is a major traffic intersection.

Then came the shocker, near the Bird Circle. A cyclist volunteer went past with a placard informing the date & distances for the next edition. Here is an event that doesn’t take place regularly & which has a record of announced dates being shuffled around. To commit a date for the next edition was unbelievable. Which would also make it two editions in a single calendar year. Aren’t the orgsanisers more than a little overambitious? Moreover, the date clashes with the Goa River Marathon which is a favourite of many local runners too. To top it all, the next edition will have the Full Marathon on offer too. I have reasons to differ with these grand plans. 2017 will be the year elections will be held for the state assembly. While this presents an opportunity for aspiring contestants to lobby for a ticket, I am doubtful whether there will be enough sponsors for the event. The potential sponsors would have shelled out the spare cash to major political parties & I doubt whether they will have something left for a running event. Still, good luck to the organisers!!

The sun was, by now, all over. So were the people. Running past the Fatehganj flyover near Drug Laboratory, I found a stream of taffic coming the other way. This happened at a lot of places. The worst being the stretch between Pandya Hotel & Chhani and the Kala Ghoda Circle. As I was running across a T-junction, a garbage truck suddenly appeared from the side street. It had no intention of slowing down or stopping (there was a traffic cop on duty there) & I did the next best thing. Of course, this helps one to rest & regain some strength, howsoever little it may be. At another junction, the traffic cop actually stopped the runners to let the vehicles cross the road! Different runners react differently to this. While I took it as a time to rest, some actually run faster to avoid incoming traffic. They also end up with a faster timing! The photograph below was widely circulated on whatsapp & facebook & proved that the autorickshaws do not consider anyone on foot as an elite.

As one turned around Chhani into Nizampura main road, it was getting very hot. I had seen many runners wearing the Rajkot HM race jersey. I got chatting with Mansukhbhai Dabhi, who informed that there a sizeable contingent from Rajkot here. He was extremely critical of the late start, bad traffic management & extremely low crowd support. Of course, he was comparing VIHM with the HM held at Rajkot a couple of weeks back & couldn’t have reacted differently. I felt the same way too.

The Poddar Jumbo Kids was managing a hydration point near Mehsana Nagar junction. They also had a kid dressed in a jumbo outfit. It looked so cute, but I felt really sorry for the poor little guy inside. He was inside a thick hide, which would be now quite hot under the sun. He could have been out of that outfit 45 minutes earlier, if the event had started on time. he would have felt so proud on being selected for this task. Little did he know what would come on race day. And we runners want all the facilities & conveniences for ourselves. The least we can do is appreciate these supporters who also spend their time & energy to support & encourage us.

There was a huge crowd at Kala Ghoda circle. Reni & Ajay were here too, to cheer us on the last leg! Rest of the crowd was not there to cheer the runners but those stopped by the traffic cops to let the runners pass this junction. Hope, none of them missed their train. The organisers also had placed bananas for the runners. Water & energy drinks are fine, but the stomach needs something solid too during this long time spent on foot. Wonder, why they couldn’t have this at other locations too? Maybe, this was a good deed of some volunteer. One was enough for the last stretch to the finish.

Hot, tired & famished, I reached home. And immediately realized that I had missed my ritual with the medal. Off I went to my Kitli & let the medal have its moment under the sun!!

And Bapus ran on a cold winter morning...

(First posted on 17th Feb, 2016, on http://theotherwhys.blogspot.com/2016/02/and-bapus-ran-on-cold-winter-morning.html) 

What will you do if you go for a run (part of a series of running posts for the blog), take a wrong turn & end up running half the distance you planned, on a route that had not much of interest, where you did not bump into anyone interesting enough to stop & chat with, and end up with that demoralizing feel of an unfinished task? Well, I will write about it despite there being not much! As you know, we salespersons can talk forever on no topic whatsoever. So, here comes my experience of the Rajkot Half Marathon (24th Jan, 2016) held in the heart of Bapudom, or Kathiawad if you so prefer. (To the ignorant, Bapus are the coolest community anywhere. But be warned, one doesn’t ever mess with a Bapu.)

To begin with, why did I land up in Rajkot? Well, I missed Ahmedabad owing to illness & decided to make up with Rajkot HM. And yes, catching up with Jyotin Kalaria, a dear friend (nicknamed Bapu for being a Kathiawadi), was what made me drive to Rajkot after 2 practically sleepless nights. There are 3 routes to reach Rajkot from Baroda –Baroda-Ahmedabad-Bagodara-Rajkot (around 325 km), Baroda-Vasad-Borsad-Bagodara-Rajkot (around 285 km), Baroda-Sindhrot-Borsad-Bagodara-Rajkot (around 280 km). The route through Ahmedabad is longer but a good road all the way through. Borsad to Bhagodra stretch (around 80 km) is a road that has been left unfinished, for we saw no signs of any construction activity on the way though there is enough evidence of the road being widened & flyovers under construction. If you take on this portion during daylight hours, you can still save on time compared to going all the way to Ahmedabad Ring Road (which is always congested). We went via Vasad & returned via Sindhrot & I recommend traveling via Sindhrot which is a newly surfaced & less trafficked route.

Rajkot, on first visit, appears to be a good city. Even in the peak rush hour traffic one can simply drive through as if on a major highway. After a missed turn & an additional 30 km drive, we reached Jyotin’s place in good time. Depositing wife & kid at home, I went out to meet him near his office which was quite close by (less than a kilometer). Now I know why the Rajkotians can afford their Baporias (afternoon naps, which are a religion in Rajkot). 

Post-dinner, we again moved out to have a feel of the town (this time with the wives in tow). We stopped at Galaxy Pan, where I tried out the famous Fire Paan. The Paan is the normal meetha paan (or as you may order). They put 4 cloves over it & put these on fire. The still alight paan is put into your mouth, which is quite scary the first time round (if you have never witnessed this yourself earlier). Of course, the biggest risk is your moustache getting burnt in the process, so the angle of your face becomes very important. You see, I always have some helpful advice for you (there’s more near the end)!!

Rajkot had prepared well for its maiden Marathon. Jyotin appreciated the clever move by the local admin to have an early start which would make it easy to manage the typical Rajkot traffic. I wasn’t so sure whether the Bapus can be so “managed”, but my experience the next day belied my fears on this account.

We (Jyotin & Kush (his kid), both doing the 5K, and I) got ready later than I would have wished & left for the venue on his Bike. He was informed by his office colleagues, who were also running, about the roads being closed for traffic for the HM. It was cold & chilly, and it helped I was the pillion. Nearing the venue, there was a big traffic jam. Half the city was going to the venue, while the other half was going in the opposite direction (maybe to get their 1^st dose of Gathia, a snack that Rajkotians can eat any time of the day) & there was only one half of the road available for vehicular movement (other being dedicated for the runners). It took some time, but we made our way to the venue. Perhaps, the bapus were not in their elements so early in the morning, or maybe they were too focused to get to their favorite Gathia joint. A saurashtrian’s love for Gathias is such that I feel this region should be called Gathiawad.

Rajkot Half Marathon was organized by the Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) & the Rajkot City Police (RCP). The administration, ably led by Municipal Commissioner Vijay Nehra, had put all its resources to make this event a success. This was very well publicized with hoardings & posters all over the town (something I did not find at Nasik). There were water points & aid stations practically every 2 km or so. The locals lined up the entire route cheering the runners. They also had separate start & end points for the 5K runners & 10K/HM runners. This helped to decongest the more serious, timed events. The police were all over the place & the traffic was very well managed. I did not see any restless traffic waiting at crossroads for runners to pass (as one sees in Ahmedabad). Had it not been so, the police would have had the toughest time of their lives, because an agitated Bapu is someone to be avoided at all costs. Ask the Brits, who had to relinquish the jewel in their crown because of an angry Bapu!

They also got a lot of support from the local population. All along the route, schools & organisations had put up temporary stages to cheer the runners by way of music, dance, and some acrobatics too. It seems to me these kids performing on the sidelines would sweat less if they run the HM. They have to be on their feet throughout the event. But they had their Commissioner as the role model, who ran the full 21K (seen in the pic along with the Brand Ambassador, Cheteshwar Pujara). If our politicians also make it a habit to run at such events, we would not only get fitter leaders but also better roads.

One of the objectives of the event was to create awareness about cleanliness. Most of the posters lining up the route were on cleanliness. After the Prime Minister’s call for #SwachhBharat, there has been a visible change in the way local administrations have been going about promoting cleanliness. But the Rajkot Marathon was not all about words. If there were posters all over, there were also volunteers near hydration points collecting empty water bottles (as in the pic here). Great work, RMC!!

But this one caught the eye. There was this poster, placed against a streetlight, talking about making Rajkot a Litter Free city. Looking up, I saw another poster for a real estate project. it said “Dream City, Gateway to Heaven”. I do not know if this was intentional or a coincidence. But, a litter-free city would be anyone’s dream city. And not just a gateway, but heaven in itself.

I was running faster than normal & feeling very pleased about it. This was probably to it being a cold morning that made it comfortable to run on the road. Moreover, I had started out with the first bunch of runners & escaped the crowding & the jostling at the beginning of the run. I also had to stop often to take pictures of all those witty posters that the organisers had put up. At one such point, where some school kids were standing with placards, I stopped to read & take picture. The cop posted there asked me to continue running as I would come in the way of oncoming runners. This bugged me no end. With the whole road width available why would the runners bump into me? I was also surprised at this cop persisting with his duty, who probably deduced I was an outsider as I was speaking Hindi. But a brief exchange of words convince him that I was a Gujarati by birth & domicile, even if not a Kathiawadi. This ended up with the cop minding his post, leaving me free to do what I pleased.

Now, to the posters that were put up along the route to motivate the runners. Some of these were (my thoughts in brackets, italicized):

Running is Gift (i.e. Every child is gifted, but we discard/misplace the gift as we grow older.)
Marathon is Science (They shouldn’t have put this up, it will turn off a lot of students.)
Two Legs move the Soul (If this dictum catches up, peddlers of spiritualism would be soon out of business. I hope it does!)
Run Fast, Run Far (This was at the 3K mark. But I can do only one, not both.)
Run Fast, Run Slow, Run Far, Run Close (This was at the 4K mark. We finally got a choice & I am beginning to love it.)
When your Legs get tired, run with your Heart (Friendly advise at the 4.5K mark, much before the mind turns off.)
Dare to Go the Distance (That’s what we all were here for, isn’t it?)
Run with your Heart, not with your Legs (Nearing the end, do we have a choice?)
Forget the Miles, Just Remember the Glory (When it all ends, it’s the miles that add to the glory.)
It doesn’t get Easier, You just get Stronger (Apt for the 19K mark, where it was put up.)

This one I loved the most! 

Now, back to running. After around some 12-13 kilometres, I found I was running at a pace that was way beyond my capabilities. I realized this when a couple of African runners overtook me. Being overtaken is quite normal, as the leading pack of Full Marathoners always finishes earlier than I do my Half Marathon. But there was no FM distance at Rajkot, nor did I have a significant advantage of an early start. And I suddenly realized (by the Bib colour) that all runners around me were dong the 10K. Some mental arithmetic convinced me that I had goofed up & was now doing only the 10K. (Later, after I had finished my run & looking for a clue in the pics I had taken, I realized where I had taken the wrong turn). This dampened the spirit & I started looking out for volunteers who would be able to tell me how I could rectify the error (or, how far back would I have to go to resume my HM). I didn’t find any. All I could see were traffic cops & onlookers.

From here onwards it was a mix of emotions. Disappointment at missing out on another HM finish. Anger for being so stupid. Wonder at how/where/why I erred so. Frustration for being unable to locate a volunteer. Disappointment at not doing a HM in the month. But I had to finish the run, whatever the distance I ended up doing & I continued. An optimistic thought persisted – maybe the HM was two loops of 10K. After another turn, I found myself in the midst of a big crowd of runners. It was a big crowd consisting of the 5K & 10K participants. We were near the end point. Volunteers (cops again) guided me (the HM runner) to my route. It was an empty stretch I landed up in. I tried to convince myself that the HM was really two loops & I was still on the right track. Alas, I did not even get enough time for this. I ended up inside the sports ground, where I came up against this last poster. This one pierced my heart. I had run but found myself at the finish point of the wrong distance.

Now for some gyan (I warned you in the beginning) on why/how this happened & can be avoided:

• One should be clear about the route, especially in a new town. The organisers did not keep the route map in my kit. I did not also go through route put up on the website. I thought I will just follow other runners, but ended up with the wrong set.
• One should be at the venue in good time before the race starts. Maybe, the organisers would have important announcements to make & one shouldn’t miss that. Apart from the route, there may be other important things they would like to point out.
• There should be volunteers to guide runners at important junctions. There was none at Surat. My wife tells me, at the Spice Coast Marathon (Kochi), they had volunteers separating the 5K & 10K runners.
• And finally, when there are multiple events, opt for the longer distance. Imagine running a 10K & ending up doing a HM!

To cut a short story shorter, I was one of the earliest finishers. Post-run, Rajkot provides not only the mandatory fruits & water, but also milk & green tea to the runners. After a bit of coordination issues, I managed to join Jyotin & we reached back home. While having the standard Rajkot breakfast (of course, Gathia), I received this SMS. Wow, I need to print & frame this! Later, we again went to Galaxy Pan & I had another flaming paan, this time with more confidence (as can be seen in the video below). The medal, sadly, stayed in the pocket. The Soda Chhaas (another specialty of Rajkot) will have to wait till I complete this HM.

Pic credit:

Vijay Nehra & Cheteshwar Pujara - http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/rajkot-marathon-37000-participate-kenyans-ethiopians-bag-top-prizes/

When Daman Serves More than Beer...

(First posted on 16th Jan, 2016, on http://theotherwhys.blogspot.in/2016/01/when-daman-serves-more-than-beer.html) 

Long after the British left India, the Portuguese still occupied Goa, Daman & Diu. After liberation from Portuguese rule, they were a common Union Territory till Goa became a separate state. Daman is also the favorite go-to weekend destination for people in South Gujarat as it’s a Union Territory (low taxes) where the dry laws do not apply (freely available liquor). A little over 3 hours from Baroda by road/train makes it convenient even if the weekend is just 1-day long. The tourism department also organizes a Half Marathon (http://damanwindmarathon.org/) around Liberation Day (19^th December), where many runners from Baroda are regulars. 

If you think they participate for the easy availability of liquor, you are mistaken. Many have achieved their PB’s & best performances at the Daman Wind Marathon. This year I was also part of the Baroda contingent at Daman (there were others too, who turned up late). And like the rest, my priority was also clear (though different)!!

They start the run very early at Daman, around 5:30 am. I was staying at my aunt’s place in Vapi which is just across the border in Gujarat. I didn’t wish to disturb my cousin’s sleep early in the morning to drop me off, nor was I adventurous enough to drive back into Gujarat after a trip to Daman. So the previous night had me arranging an auto to pick me up early in the morning. It’s a tough task & my advice for those who may want to go to Daman next year onwards is simple – Daman is the place to stay. If you find Vapi convenient, make sure you have your own conveyance (and a driver, if you enjoy your post-run drink). Of the many who refused, I came across an autowala who informed that he was also participating (along with some 10/12 of his friends) in the marathon. I simply love it when someone is willing to chuck aside productive economic time to indulge in a favorite pastime. Unfortunately, he was running the 5K which started much later & could not take me along on his bike!! But one manages to get an auto at the Railway Station, where those on the night shift are most willing to take you for some Rs. 250/-. Don’t haggle much as one doesn’t have much of a choice. That’s my advice #2 & #3 for those wishing to run in Daman!!

An early morning start is good, as Daman is never really cold even in December. However, one does feel the chill riding an auto at 4:30 in the morning. But alighting at the Daman Football Ground, it feels pleasant, and more so after one does some stretching & warmup. The Daman Fort is still decked up with the lighting put up for Liberation Day, or maybe it is always there (this is my first time here).

On the bridge, I come across Mr. Amarjeet Singh, a 60-year young visually challenged runner from Mumbai. Around 9 years back, he started taking part in distance running events, beginning with the 7K at SCMM. Since then, he has completed 43 distance runs. A week prior to Daman Wind Marathon, he was running the HM at Goa River Marathon & was scheduled to run the HM in Nashik the next week. His spirit is truly commendable! He has to run with an escort who runs with him. At Daman, it was Harshal from Mumbai who ran with him. But this is not the difficult part. Even traveling outside Mumbai is a task. He needs an escort for that too. He defines the spirit of running the marathon, or the half for that matter – overcoming the odds & breaking through the physical & mental barriers.

The bridge on Damanganga river makes a pretty sight too, with all these decorative lights creating a canopy as we moved. The Daman administration has opted for the best day to organize the event when not only the city is decorated but even the weather is helpful. No wonder, outstation participants become a regular at Daman. It was still dark, when the sound of waves crashing on the shore announced we were near the Devka beach. And then we come upon all these resorts & hotels. There is enough hydration available along the route as these hotels put up water stations for the runners. The organisers also don’t need to put up portable toilets as Daman is dotted with hotels who open up their facilities for us. May be this is also a reason why the entry fees here are so low!

This guy is not a Bus. I didn’t see any at Daman. He is promoting the Valsad City Marathon, or shall we say he is its flag bearer? The Valsad Runners had sent a big team here, being in its neighbourhood.

A long stretch of the route is lined with coconut trees along the shore. In their welcome email, the organisers had informed that this piece of land belonged to one Sukur Narayan Bakhia, a smuggler who had, as one of his assistants, a guy called Haji Mastan!! Daman has history at every step, it seems.

We turn around at the gates of Wind World India, the event sponsors. They are doing a good job, putting this small Union Territory on the sporting calendar.

On my return leg, I come across Mr. Premshankar Pandya from Ahmedabad running on the other side of the road. At 75 years, he is 15 years younger than our Mr. Amarjeet Singh. He has been walking & running long distances for many years now. But that’s not what he is known for. He is recognized because he always runs barefoot wearing dhoti-kurta! He even ran the Vadodara Ultra barefoot, running so on the roads would be so much easier.

I always believed that Surtis thronged Daman for the beer & liquor. But coming to this stall, I realized Daman ,makes them feel at home. Of course, this gentleman doesn’t have the entire range of egg dishes that are served at a typical outlet in Surat, but has enough on the menu to get the Surti tourists get up & out for the breakfast.

Back in the city, we take the turn at the Clock Tower, still decorated with yesterday’s flowers & the dolphins at the top. Beware of this one, though. One look at the time & I was mighty pleased with myself. But once I took out my phone to take its pic, I realized it was around 55 minutes behind. I was totally deflated!

Back on the Damanganga bridge & the Daman Fort is still standing strong to welcome us back.

You would be well aware of what happens during that last kilometer. With not much distance left, and far lesser strength in those legs, runners pull up the last of the energy reserves that they can, to cut down the seconds. Now what will you do if you come across this sign at this stage? Would you still get ahead of that slowing runner ahead of you? Or would you just take it easy & wait till the turn ahead to move forward?

We finish where we began, just outside the Daman fort. May be the soldiers of the Maratha Light Infantry, at the end of the siege, felt as tired as we did at the finish line. We have to get into the fort for the medals & post-race breakfast (nothing to speak about). The fort now houses government offices. There’s also the beautiful Liberation day memorial, which made me wonder whether the cannon in the corner fired all these shots!! You can read more about the liberation of Goa, Daman & Diu at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_annexation_of_Portuguese_India.

They serve you the breakfast on the banks of the Damanganga river, where there is also small park. The children had energy enough to play in the park! They were proudly wearing their medals & bibs. The fun doesn’t stop for the kids.

Returning back, I once again met Mr. Amarjeet Singh & Harshal (his escort) & we got chatting. A group of young boys reached & greeted him. They were all praise for him, especially the fact that he finished earlier than they did. It was sincere, truthful praise that they had for Mr. Singh. He inspired more than a few at Daman.

I came out of the fort & after more than half an hour, hunted down a small bar that was open at 9:30 AM. Well, that’s what I was here for. The medal found its perch at Daman too.