The group at GV Residency
Usha has her son’s wedding on her mind, while Priya hopes the milkman will arrive on time today. Raju is thinking of taxes and Suni about the project she has to submit later that day... They do this even as they run, some fast, some slow some at an almost walking pace. Doctors and businessmen, accountants and teachers, students and homemakers have taken to the roads as never before.
Hitting the roads at Codissia
S. Balaji one of the organisers of the Coimbatore Marathon says there are more and more men and women from the city who are bagging top positions in running events organised across the country. “And you will be surprised to know how many of them are in their 50s and above,” he says. Runners from Coimbatore took top three spots at the recent Hyderabad Marathon. Third place in Half-marathon Woman (open); Second place in Half-marathon Woman (veteran); Second and third places in Full Marathon - Men (Senior veteran).”
One gentleman from Kovaipudur who now lives in Mumbai is said to have run 10 marathons in 10 days! Some less ambitious but as determined, are running for fitness, for some cause, or just for the sheer joy of it. “Efforts are on to bring in more runners into the fold. The number of registrations are around 9,000 and we are hoping to add another 6,000 to the number in the last six days before the last date of registrations on August 31,” says Balaji.
In the tree-lined avenues of Race Course
There is some serious running happening in various parts of the city In Codissia and Kovaipudur nearly forty people turn out at each place. Race Course has nearly 60 runners practising while 30 of them turn up to run at Sai Baba Colony. GV Residency has about 20 regulars while the fever is catching on in other areas, like the road behind Perks School where a grand total of four runners gather four times a week. In most of these areas there is a seasoned runner who is breaking them in.
Finding space to run at Saibaba Colony
The banners are up, the posters are distributed. There will be runners from the Armed Forces, schools, colleges and corporates. October 1 also promises to be a red letter day.
In the open spaces of Saravanampatti
