Marathoners belong to a peculiar group of people, willingly punishing their bodies to assess fitness over winding stretches of tarmac. Will power and lung power are qualities high on the priority list for these frail bodies, blessed with inner strength to keep going.
Rathiram Saini is one of India’s track athletes, looking forward to completing his first marathon on Sunday morning along the Mumbai seafront and in the process create an identity in the distance-running society. The Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 2015 is his first attempt at 42 kilometres.
Motivation to run comes from deep within for this hardy Rajasthan athlete. “I want to do something different from the others. I wish to create an identity in society with whatever skill I have. Running marathons and representing India is the way I look at it,” said the 35-year-old Indian Railways runner. He is one of many athletes moving from track to road-races, in the hope of adding money power to lung power and will power. “Mumbai 2015 is my first marathon. I trained for the event from October 2014 in Alwar. My focus is on doing well to earn prize money and pay off loans taken to run my home.”
Rathiram won a 10000m bronze at Asian Track & Field Championships 2013 at Pune, moved to cross-country and now is eying a marathon finish on debut. The Northern Railway runner (joined in 2006 in ‘D’ grade) is on leave without pay since October 2014. “I chose to go on leave without pay, after making inquiries about permission to prepare and compete in a marathon,” he said.
“If I had asked and they refuse, I would have missed out on the chance to represent India at World Athletics
this year, hence took the risk of no salary to train on my own and run on my own steam,” he added.
He was in the national camp at Bengaluru from May 2013 to September 2013 for 10,000m. “I was paid during time at national camp. It stopped from the time I left Bengaluru to train for my first marathon under Sabalpratap Singh at Alwar.”
Ratiram’s coach confirmed his ward’s decision to opt for leave without pay and loan taken from those close
to him to look after a large family. “We are planning for the Rio Olympics next year. This time is Rathiram’s first marathon, so I want him to understand the Mumbai route and take a crack at qualifying next year.”
Coach and pupil trained at R R College mud track at Alwar, apart from road work. “We looked at speed endurance. Rathiram moved from 10,000 to cross-country, winning an event in Punjab last year, so marathon is a timely switch one year before Rio Olympics. If all goes well, he should be looking at getting under the qualifying time next year,” Sabalpratap (Rajasthan State Sports Council) is happy at Athletics
Federation of India (AFI) decision, announced on Friday by president Adille Sumariwalla, to take into account Mumbai performances for selecting the 2015 Beijing World Championships national squads.
Rathiram, the sole earning member of a large family, is clear about trying his hand at marathon running to make ends meet. “Railways gave me Rs. one lakh cash incentive recently for winning the Asian Track &
Field bronze in 2013. I had heard about government incentive to Indian athletes winning international medals, no money has come to me so far. Track running has not help me run a family. Even my job (Electrical Technician) does not help me remain healthy for athletics. I am in the Diesel shed on duty hours, amidst smoke and chemicals, distance-running is done after work.”
For now, returning home to Rajasthan with some prize money from Mumbai drives him forward, amidst numbed minds willing bodies to take one more step towards the finish. He has tried to catch up earlier with
Africans. Ethiopians Alemu Bekele Gebre and Bilisuma Shugi Gelas (representing Bahrain at Asian T & F meet) finished ahead of Ratiram in the first two spots at Pune’s Balewadi stadium. Mumbai streets will
have Africans loping along in packs, a Railway runner chugging alongside on own steam, trying to keep pace in his own race for life.
