For the last eight years, Miten Shah and his twin sons, Akshya and Lakshya have been competing in the ‘Dream Run’ of the TATA Mumbai Marathon. Each year, they have a different costume on to support a social cause. The trio will be running again on the streets this year on January 21, in the same race.
The idea came to Miten in 2010, a couple of years after he started taking part in marathons. He saw a swarm of people and realised it can be a medium to take up social causes and motivate such a huge mass. Last year, they stood first receiving a cash prize of Rs 50,000 for best costume.
Eight years ago, as six-year-olds, Akshya and Lakshya wanted to spend a January Sunday morning in their bed instead of running in a marathon.
Instead, their father dressed them up as two little Mahatma Gandhis taking them for the run early in morning. “As soon as the race ended, they asked me when would the next race be. They were really excited,” recalls Miten, who owns a wholesale garment store in Khar.
The practice for the twins starts two months prior to the marathon and that is also when they come up with the design for their costumes. On the day of the race, they get up at three in the morning to get their outfits in place. “They wake the whole house up. My sister is the one who does all the artwork,” says their father.
This edition of the marathon boasts of having 42,000 (or more) runners, which is the maximum participation that the competition has seen since its inception. The creative pair of 13-year olds will dress up for the cause of the girl child this year.
