Mumbai Marathon: 800 seniors, 1,220 differently-abled take part

Mumbai: The Tata Mumbai Marathon’s Senior Citizens Race (4.3km) and Champions with Disability categories (2.4km) were well attended, with as many as 800 senior citizens and 1,220 participants with disabilities taking part in them, respectively.

There was a 54 per cent spurt in the registrations in the Champions with Disability category as compared to last year’s enrolment of 654 participants. Among the several senior citizen runners who participated in the run, some ran the entire 21-km Half Marathon barefoot. “I had practiced barefoot running before the marathon and found it comfortable, thus I decided to not wear running shoes. The run went smoothly and I managed to completed the race,” said 52- year-old Kishore Panchal.

Mahadev Joshi, another 75-year-old Half Marathon runner, said, “With this we prove that age is just a number and the sky is the limit. With the practice for this marathon run, I started leading a healthier life. This medal is one gem that I will preserve
forever.”

First-timers were as enthusiastic as their geriatric counterparts. “I enjoyed the run very much, although it was a bit tiring after the first half due to the heat, I am managed to pull off my first run efficiently,” said Pooja Desai, who participated in the Full Marathon.

Differently-abled participants too showed grit, and took part with full flair, keeping pace with their fellow runners.