MxMIndia

Tag: marathon

  • The three runs (21km, 10km and 5km) of the Stayfree Women For Change DNA I Can Women's Half Marathon saw over 3800 women participating

    Over 3800 participate in DNA’s women half-marathon

    By A Correspondent

     

    Actor Akshay Kumar with radio jockey Malishika and fitness expert Mickey Mehta

    All roads in India’s new corporate district of the Bandra Kurla Complex led to the flag-off of the DNA women’s half-marathon on Sunday. It was the festive day of Mahashivratri, but that didn’t deter the 3800+ women who participated in the three runs (21km, 10km and 5km) which were part of the Stayfree Women For Change DNA I Can Women’s Half Marathon.

     

    Just the second edition of the event, the half-marathon drew participation from regulars in the running circuit as well as first-timers. Actor Akshay Kumar led a committed showbiz contingent at the event. While cheering participants, he said his key to fitness was getting to early to bed and rising early.

     

    Uttarakhand’s Kiran Tiwari from Western Railway won the Half marathon in 1 hour, 24 minutes. Ms Tiwari won a bronze medal in 2009 Asian Championships in China in the 3000 metre staple race. The others who followed Ms Tiwari were: Nilam Rajput (1:28:3), Nikite Nagpure (1:29:1), Rashmi Gurnule (1:33:6) and Sunite Wasghmode, (1:36:2).  In the 10 km run, the winners were: Supriya Patil (38:35:7), Heena Mali (39:10:9) and Priyanka Patil (40:43:0). And in the 5 km run, the winners were:  Teja Naik (21:22:7), Mrudula Bhande (24:37:5) and Rekha Haldipur (25:25:0) (Info source: DNA news report)

     

    Johnson & Johnson’s Stayfree was presenting sponsor along with a host of partners and associates. SportzConsult executed the event.

     

  • Why should we suffer because a few sods wanna have street fun, and are desperate for their 'athletic' frames to be featured on Page 3?

    Anil Thakraney: How the marathon has become an an outdoor Page 3 bash

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I am no fan of celeb parties. The last one I went for, I think, was when the twin towers of New York City were still around. And I loathe them because I consider such soirees to be a total waste of time. The whole ‘networking’ bit is bollocks, I immediately trash all the visiting cards that get doled out, and I suspect so do others. But, people have the right to party, so let them do it. It’s a free country and people have enough free time to kill, so that’s cool.

     

    However, the one big party I cannot deal with and strongly condemn is that Great Outdoor Bash called the Marathon. Where a bunch of publicity hungry celebs and a whole lot of wannabes and wastrels collect and make a mess of our Sunday, as all sorts of traffic restrictions come into play. Last Sunday, because of the Mumbai Marathon, I had to cancel my plans of visiting South Mumbai on work. And that’s so damn unfair, why should we suffer because a few sods wanna have street fun, and are desperate for their ‘athletic’ frames to be featured on Page 3?

     

    Here’s why I think the event sucks:

    Hundreds of people claim to run for hundreds of charities. No one really remembers or even knows what charities these are, and more importantly, if the money really makes it into the right places. There are zero checks and balances on this, so the whole charity bit sounds very dubious.

     

    Over 90 percent of the hangers-on arrive for potential star-gazing. They have no interest in either running or in charity. All they do is create street nuisance.

     

    The kind of money that claims to be generated at the Marathon, it’s loose change really for sprinters like Ambani, Mahindra and Mallya. These very loaded gentlemen can so easily donate hugely to charity without creating a public spectacle, if they wanted to. But then, how will they get their hot bods on to Page 3?

     

    Each year the predictable happens. A broke Kenyan or a broke Nigerian wins the bounty prize. Because these are the only dudes who can run, as everyone else wants to simply party. Fine. As long as these boys use the money for the right purposes. And don’t end up in the back alleys of Juhu peddling you know what.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILxjxfB4zNk[/youtube]

    Net Net: Guys and gals, please do this tamasha inside Brabourne stadium. The sponsors will still get their mileage, the Africans will still win, you will still get media coverage and a chance to show off. And the rest of us can continue with our routine lives. Thank you!

     

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    PS: Brilliant public service ad from the British Heart Foundation. Making the act of reviving victims of cardiac arrest look not just a simple, but a fun thing to do. See, you don’t need to run street marathons if you want to do good work. Doing an ad like this goes miles in changing lives.

     

  • Want to run the marathon? You definitely can't do it on a whim – one has to prepare and train in advance for it, says Bharat Kapadia.

    The Anchor: 5 tips on how you too can run the marathon

    Every time Bharat Kapadia talks of his training for the marathon, there’s a sense of hopelessness in me on how a man of his stature (and he is indeed a man of several parts) and at his young age is so passionate about running the marathon (or the half-marathon, as he corrects) and here I can barely run a few hundred yards. Yesterday, I asked him about the time he took at the 2012 edition of the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon, and he said it was 2.19 hours. That’s commendable. And guess what did he do after the marathon effort? No, not soak himself in beer or go in for a foot reflex. He got into his music class, perhaps planning the recording of his next single.

     

    Bharatbhai is not the only mediaperson in the act. I was quite impressed that Paritosh Joshi was tweeting away as he was running yesterday. On behalf of the MxMIndia team and I guess the entire fraternity and from myself, to all those who took to the roads yesterday, a hundred thousand salaams!

     

    My colleague and deputy editor Tuhina Anand spoke to Bharat Kapadia asking him for tips on running the marathon. Here goes:

     

    By Bharat Kapadia

     

    #1 Mindset: While getting ready for a marathon, 75 per cent of the preparation has to do with the mindset. The mind will play games and you might think that running is not your cup of tea. But if you resolve to run and decide to complete the marathon, then there is no looking back. At 59, I can run the half marathon (21 km) but when I started, I could not even run for 500 meters, so it is all to do with the mindset.

     

    #2 Fitness: Once your mind is made up, then fitness comes into play. You need to look at a diet that will give you power and endurance. Protein and carbohydrates are a must in a diet when you are running long distance. You have to also ensure that your body remains hydrated as there is a strong possibility of dehydration due to loss of water and salt while running. Practise consuming at least three litres of water.

     

    #3 Training:  For first-timers, I would advise getting professional training, as it will help you in understanding how to run long distance as well as build endurance. Running a marathon is not just about getting up one day and saying that you will participate. A lot goes into it and the warm up and stretching sessions are as important as the actual running. This is where professional help comes in handy.

     

    #4 Routine: One has to adhere to a routine while preparing for the big day. Practice is a must, hence you have to dedicate some time in your busy schedule to get ready for the marathon.

     

    #5 Register on time: The registration for marathon begins much in advance and if you miss that, you will miss the opportunity to run. In that case all the practice will be for naught; hence keeping an eye for the registration date is a must.

     

    Veteran mediaperson Bharat Kapadia is chairman of Whatuwant Solutions.