And-the plan/wish/hope being voiced by me for so long,(6 yrs to be precise as the 1st Mumbai marathon was held in 2004)....finally saw the light of the day-today: 17th Jan 2010- i ran the "SCMM Dream Run 2010"
And it was an experience of a lifetime(n its not because i was running!!) It was the first ever time i was witnessing an event of such magnitude. It was the BEST sight ever. To see people of all ages just moving ahead-with so much zeal and enthusiasm. There are no words to describe the feeling you get by being there--its so much more than overwhelming.The spirit of Mumbai seemed to come alive. There were people running for various causes...ranging from world peace,to unity,right to education,old age homes,go green,welfare for stray dogs,Shaimak Davar Dance troupe,MNCs(to fulfill their corporate social responsibility), helping the under privileged, to publicity stunts by celebrities. And there were the dedicated runners of the Full and half marathon,who do it for personal satisfaction more than anything else...But the final motive of it all is the same: build awareness.Let the "junta" know,keep the people informed. And the Marathon succeeded beautifully in doing that.
The massive amounts of participation,the security,the stall arrangements,baggage counters...so much goes into organsing an event of this scale..37,000+ participants- organsing SCMM is no mean feat...and every year it just seems to outdo itself.
May the spirit of Mumbai continue to grow and the Marathon continue to be a source of inspiration and bonding(and a lot of publicity in the bargain)!!!!!!!!
Go Mumbai!
