Inagural World 10K Marathon

With the second edition of the World 10K Marathon round the corner in the month of May, I thought to rewind and put together some of the last year's World 10K marathon in images showcasing the professional runners and then the cross section of society who ran for their city's pride.
The World 10K run was organized by Procam International, which also organizes the Mumbai International full marathon and New Delhi’s International half marathon.
The World 10K run also became the richest one by summing up a total of 41.35 lakh rupees towards charity. The second edition will be held on May 31st 2009.




Ashwini Nachappa and Dhanraj Pillai along with other runners at the Sunfeast World 10K Marathon in Bangalore on Sunday 18th May 2008.





Young and old run shoulder to shoulder during the Open and Maja run in the inaugural Sunfeast World 10K marathon in Bangalore on Sunday 18th May 2008.

Hari and his wife Ashiwini along with their 11 month old baby run during the Open and Maja run in the inaugural Sunfeast World 10K marathon in Bangalore on Sunday 18th May 2008 (Left) as A father carries his son on his shoulders during the Open and Maja run (right), all they had in mind was complete the 10 kilometers.





So What if we are tired to run as participants we will walk to complete the Open and Maja run in the inaugural Sunfeast World 10K marathon in Bangalore on Sunday 18th May 2008.




One for the album: a group of runners get them selves photographed near the Vidhan Soudha during the Open and Maja run in the inaugural Sunfeast World 10K marathon in Bangalore on Sunday 18th May 2008 (Left) as a woman poses and shows her thumps up sign while being photographed (right).

Some of the participants came dressed up for the occasion and ran to kill the onlookers but ensured that they did not slip on their way to completing the World 10K Maja run.

Some of the participants did not get deterred by their children or their pets but instead ensured that they complete the Maja run and get the certificate for completing the first World 10K Marathon.

The determination with which the garden city responded was just great as seen from the two pictures above where one got to see elderly people along with the blind and disabled not only participating but completing the run with sheer grit of any Bangalorean has.

Elite men runners speed through the streets of Bangalore in the inaugural Sunfeast World 10K marathon (left top), Zersenay Tadese from Eritrea and Moses Kipsiro from Uganda approach the Kantreeva stadium as they run in Cubbon Park with the majestic Bangalore Central Library building in the backdrop (top right) and then finish first and second respectively.

Elite women runners speed through the streets of Bangalore in the inaugural Sunfeast World 10K marathon in Bangalore on Sunday 18th May 2008 (top left), Elvan Abeylegesse (24) and Grace Momanyi of Kenya (27) lead the pack to the Kantreeva Stadium on Cubbon road, (top right) and then declared as the joint winners after the organizers could not get a photo finish picture to finalize the results.



Through out the event the traffic came a to a stand still and the daily commuters cheered the participants all along the 10 kilometers stretch heralding an new era of marathon running for the sport loving residents of the silicon city of Bangalore.

Lapping up Success

This story was my first step to start writing apart from taking pictures for the Times of India - Bangalore edition in 1991. Thanks to friends like Jayant Kodkani, Vinay Kamat and Sumeet Charavarthy who kept their pressure on me to start reporting too. They always insisted that if you need to be an photojournalist, one should get to reporting as well as taking their own images for the stories. It so happened that Ashwini Nachappa was in good form and she was also from Bangalore, and we had to launch the Times City pullout. The story appeared in the first weeks edition on September 14th, 1991.

Ashwini Nachappa pauses between workouts to let hair down. S Shiv Kumar captures the mood in words and pictures.

Lalbagh. 6.15a.m. The rising sun is trying to force its way through the foliage of tall trees to the call of bird song. A breeze wafts gently as the young and old are straining every muscle to keep fit. Suddenly, a winsome lass appears from behind a tree-trunk. She approaches you and then, just as quickly, is gone. The miss is as good as a mile. The next time you try to catch a glimpse of her fleet and fleeing from, someone blocks your view. She's off like a shot again. The third time it's worth your while; she smiles at you. Ashwini Nachappa, the dusky sprint queen, is toughening her tendons. An hour later, she push buttons he black Kinetic Honda and speeds away homewards to Banashankari.
The runner is not lonely. One her way, school –bound children wave at her. Old men out on their morning stroll smile admiringly. Starry-eyed, giggling college girls whisper to one another. The golden girl of athletics is also a sliver screen figure. Posters of the Telugu film Ashwini are all around the town. Film pundits say it’s the only Indian movie featuring a sportsperson that has clicked.
For Ashwinin, the celluloid presence was "a way of keeping in touch with the public". There are no two ways about her preference. "I don't plan to do any other film right now. Perhaps after I retire…. My director tells me movies are the best way to maintain tie with the public", Pragmatic thinking follows. Citing the case of P T Usha, she is stoical about the fact that someone else will take her place in the near future just as she took the mantle of fame from the Payyoli Express.

"I didn’t do much acting I this movie. It was mostly running. I'd like to prove that I can act", she adds with determination. But right now, it’s back to the starting block.
On he sport, she plans to retire while she’s on the perch. So, a lot would depend on her performance his year, based on which, she will have time to decide till the end of next year. Although she has been running for eleven odd – some of them very odd indeed – year, one can never say anything. Yet, confidence oozes. "I have everything. I am proud of what I am today. I have come up the hard way in life and I know that I will get better things in the years to come.
Flashback. She jogs he memory to 1974. Unable to commute to and from school in the hustle-bustle of Calcutta, she came to Bangalore with her mom and elder sister Pushpa. "Dad stayed back with job at Birla Rayons, where he still is." The mother and daughters lived bang I front of Kantreeva stadium, where she used to rush in the evenings after school. A coach, Mohinder Singh, who watched the sisters playing, egged them to run around the track, with the bribe of one sweet for every lap. In he annual school sports meets at the Good Shepherd's, where the sisters won track prizes – was a smooth transition. And a discovery of talent. The first national appearance came in 1980, bringing in its wake an award from the state government. From then on there’s been no looking back.

Tastes. Bangalore appeals. Paani puri and sea food as well, though she 'in' so far as dresses are concerned too: saree for special occasions and to the office (Vijay Bank main branch) when there's time to dress up, other wise jeans and Bermudas and khadi kurtas. Truly dietropoltian in her habits, she can converse in English, Hindi, Coorgi, Kannada "and a bit of Tamil and Telugu". Her love for the city shows when she declares: "I have no intention of moving out of this city, unless of course marriage takes me elsewhere".
Hold it . The big day is not round the corner. She chimes with a laughter describing the 'man' - "somebody who is rich enough to take care of me, a sports lover, not necessarily a sportsman." There's no one on her mind yet, and she tells the guys "Hard luck!" But no snobs for her, only simple, "down to earth" men with a sense of humour. Didn't you hear that one before?
She hopes dreams could come true. Visions of a big farmhouse with a pool, three or four of the latest cars, the works … Sigh, there go your dreams.
While driving her car named desire, she stops by at places of worship. "I am God-Fearing. I also go to the church, have prayed from outside a mosque." To a certain extent, she maintains faith in astrology: "I did go once she says."
Faith has got her many awards and this hope will run for a long time to come.