The Mumbai Marathon organisers owe the Mumbai police more than Rs 2 crore for providing protection to the event over the last three years.
This time too, the Mumbai police is deploying over 10,000 policemen for the event to be held on January 17.
According to sources from Mumbai police, for last three years Mumbai police have not been getting protection money from the organisers. A senior official said, “We have been following up with the organisers for many months but till today we have not received a single penny from them. Approximately Rs 70 to 80 lakh per year’s payment is yet to be received from the organisers.”
DCP Ravindra Shisve said, “It is the responsibility of the organisers to pay the Mumbai Police money for the security of the Marathon. The organising committee hasn’t paid us for three years.”
However, when The Asian Age contacted the spokesperson of the Procam International, promoters of the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon (SCMM) 2016, he said, “We are not responsible for paying money to the Mumbai Police.”
This time, a total of 10,000 Mumbai police personnel are being deployed for the security of the Marathon. Some of them will do patrolling in plain clothes.
The 13th edition of the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon will see a significant change in the route for the Half Marathon. This year’s 21-kilometre run start point will have a more natural route and fewer sharp turns. The race will be flagged off at 5.40 am from Worli Dairy and then runners will go on to the Sealink and trace the same route back with the Marathon ending at CST. Meanwhile, the Full Marathon will be flagged off at 7.20 am. Both these races will finish at CST. The Dream Run will begin at 9 am from CST and finish near Gate No. 3 of Azad Maidan. The event for Champions with Disability will begin at 7.35 am from CST and finish near Gate No. 3 of Azad Maidan, opposite Metro. The Senior Citizens Run, will start at CST at 8.00 am before finishing near Gate No. 3 of Azad Maidan.
Special trains for run Keeping in mind the increasing number of participants from the Central and Navi Mumbai region, Central Railways will operate two special trains called the ‘Marathon Special’ for the convenience of the runners on Sunday (January 17). One train will leave Kalyan at 3 am to reach CST at 4.30 am, while the other train will leave Panvel at 1 am to reach CST at 4.30 am. Meanwhile, FREE fee shuttle service for half-marathon runners wearing valid bib numbers is available from Currey Road station on the Central Railway and Lower Parel on the Western Railway line. These buses will operate from 3.30 am to 5 am on the race day.
