An average person in India retires by the age of 60 or 63. And after that, most prefer to pursue hobbies that require minimum physical activity. But not Khusru Patel. The 77-year-old from Bandra has been singing a whole different tune altogether for the past 30 years.
The running community in the city often calls the veteran marathoner ‘The Legend of Joggers Park’. And he’s all set to take on yet another challenge by being the oldest runner in Mumbai’s upcoming IDBI Federal Half Marathon.
Khusru, who will be turning 78 next month, says that running did not begin for him by choice. He explains, “I was persuaded by my friend’s son, who loves running. Whenever I went abroad, I got sports accessories for him. He made me fill a form 10 days prior to a race (in 1987).
Training sessions, added onto hurting bones and sore muscles began, and there was no looking back. With work and travel burdening Khusru, he figured out how to indent up, with just four days of running. The fifth session was often the real occasion. It finished with him in the main 10, timing 54 minutes and 54 seconds. “I completed it, finishing on the 10th position. And I got '100 as cash prize,” reminisces the chirpy veteran.
The old stager had served Air India as cabin crew for a quarter of his life. He believes that running has brought a significant change to his life, during work and post it. “I feel more disciplined as I’ve aged,” he says. “I have stayed fitter than my friends. Also, there’s less stress with my appetite being stable. I’ve made a lot of friends, as I’ve taken part in different competitions.”
Khusru has been a regular at the Mumbai Marathon, Vasai-Virar Half Marathon, and Air India 10k run. Apart from running, he’s also taken part in many 5km and 10km runs, along with triathlons and duathlons. His achievements also include finishing first in the 20km walk in Delhi, and bagging second place in the veterans’ category in Mumbai Marathon 2004.
“It was just two years ago that I came first in a race, winning '40,000,” he says. A father to two daughter, Khusru expresses that his family always motivated him, but he also accepts that the support has reduced over the years because of his age. But he’s not ready to stop running. “My younger daughter always supported me, but now, with my age, they’re telling me to not take part in many races. Now they say, give it up,” he sighs.
With age playing a massive role in his coming races, Khusru feels weary. Currently he isn’t training because of his health issues. But the community is keen on seeing him back for his next race on August 20. With boiled eggs and sweet potatoes being his staple post-training diet, he concludes, “I’ve seen many runners in my age group in small runs, but not the big ones. I do not plan to stop running unless I cannot.”
