Sunday’s much awaited “Race Day” began in traces along the route to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium -- a man dressed in his sporting gear presumably waiting to be picked up by friends, another fishing out a banana from his pocket during his auto ride, and a third desperately trying to stop any vehicle that will get him to the venue on time!
Yet, as it is in Delhi, the day truly has not begun unless there are quarrels with the traffic police. And quarrels there were many, between the cops and participants who seemed to have missed the memo that if you are not on time to catch the roads before they are shut, you walk to the venue. Unfortunately, this reporter was part of the pack, walking more than a kilometre and a half to get to where the action was.
However, with the nip in the air announcing the oncoming winter, the walk was eventful especially when a group of East African runners, from the Elite Men’s category, zipped past as bands cheered them on. An hour or so later too, the East Africans were ahead with Kenya’s Edwin Kipyego and Ethiopia’s Yimer Wude winning the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2012.
It was an event of exchanges, much like a relay race, as the East Africans touched base with the finish line; the Senior Citizens’ Run began with several of them smiling for the cameras. The enthusiasm in seeing celebrities such as Rahul Bose and Gul Panag at the event, glued several seniors to their spot prompting a smiling Mr. Bose to encourage them to finish the race.
Eighty-seven-year-old Chaman Lal Saihgal needed no such prompting, resting on his walking stick, and dressed in a tracksuit, he showed off his certificates to anyone who cared to see. “I have participated in so many marathons,” he said while hobbling along the route slowly. “It really does not matter how long this route is but I will finish it.”
As for Jagath Singh, this reporter had quite some difficulty trying to figure out the age of a man who claimed he finished first in the senior citizens’ category. “I think I am 65, no maybe I am 61,” and the numbers carried on, from this resident of Rohtak in Haryana. “My son found out about this event on the Internet and encouraged me to participate,” said Mr. Singh.
At the finish line, this now became an amalgam of runners from all categories: Half Marathon, Senior Citizens, Inter-College Championship, Corporate Teams and the Wheelchair Race, a bunch of North Americans were seen stretching after their big run. “I cannot believe I won!” exclaimed Jason Coleman, a Spanish teacher at American Embassy School here, much to the amusement of his friends and colleagues. “Really, you must have been so fast that I didn’t see you run at all,” teased his colleague Liz Halina.
For most in this group, it was their first time running at the Delhi Half Marathon. “But it was really hot today and they could have perhaps started the run earlier,” said Jason. “Also none of the ‘cooling stations’ that is supposed to shower us with mist worked,” he said laughing.
“It was a really hot day!” was on the lips of most of the participants who were asked to reflect on their run. For veterans, Pervin Batliwala and Khurshid Mistry from Mumbai, the sun caught up with them within 20 minutes of starting the race. “Direct sunlight the entire way expect for patches which had tree cover,” said Ms. Mistry.
Unfortunately, the heat and humidity kept the Medical Base Camp quite active with ambulances going in and out carrying participants who had collapsed. “I saw so many women collapse and give up just few kilometres into the race,” said Jayanthi Thapliyal, who works at the Defence Ministry. “Today was a very warm day and the weather was not suitable for a run. Perhaps that’s why my timing was not up to the mark,” she said.
Despite the heat, it was still a fiesta with Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, actress Bipasha Basu and designer Tarun Tahiliani also present at the venue to cheer the runners on. It is, however, debatable whether the celebrities helped participants run faster with several blocking the way to take pictures of their favourite stars.
With such a huge crowd, the garbage strewn all round was unmistakable and prompted participant such as Anurag Bahl to get their hands dirty. “I was just really overwhelmed with my achievement of having able to complete a 6 km run and I just decided to give something back,” he said, pausing from loading a plastic bag full of bottles. “It is just sad that despite this event attracting the civilised, educated middle class that drives the economy, just look at the way people behave.”
