Running for a better world

It’s safe to say that the scenario for runners has grown by leaps and bounds in the city. While many are embracing this activity as means to lead a healthy lifestyle, for a few, it’s a competitive sport; in fact, marathoners from Chennai are now participating in international events. With the Global Running Day (June 7) fast approaching us, we speak to prominent marathoners and the running communities about how running has helped them in their life, and more.

The growth
Rekha Sudarsan, a clinical psychologist and one of the founding members of Dream Runners community, feels that the running scene in Chennai has grown exponentially. “When we started running in 2008, there were hardly any runners on the road — especially, there were only a very few women because they had to wait for men to accompany. But in about eight years’ time, we have grown from a community of 20 to almost 500-600 people,” she says.

Swaminathan Jayaraman, a product designer and a budding runner, is of the same opinion — “Four years ago, you could actually count the number of events that were being held in the city. But recently, I heard that a marathon event held at Tirupur, was attended by more than 6,000 people. It’s a welcome sign,” he muses.

A tool to spread awareness
Vijay Boddupalli, who set a record in the Limca Book of Records, by running 21 km a day for 21 consecutive days, tells us about how running is now being used to spread awareness on several issues. “I did it (the record) to create awareness about first aid. In the West, so much importance is given to educating people about first aid, but that’s lacking here. So as a sportsperson, I chose marathon to spread awareness. When I was running on the same road for 21 days, a few people approached me and asked me why — I educated them about first aid. It’s not just me, but there are several groups and individuals who do a lot of such events nowadays,” he says.

Not just a lifestyle change
On the other hand, Parthasarathy Srinivasan, an orthopaedic surgeon and an avid runner, says more people are viewing running as not just a lifestyle change, but also as a competitive sport. “The registrations for marathon events are growing bigger and people are now taking running very seriously and professionally — with training programmes and online coaches,” he says.
Even Rekha took part in the famous Tokyo marathon (one of the six major events in the world) earlier this year.  “It was definitely a terrific experience and I achieved one sixth of the bucket list through this event!” she exclaims.

Keeps you sharper
Parthasarathy also feels, “Running contributes immensely for general health and fitness. It makes me sharper and stay more alert while performing surgeries. It is proven beyond doubt that running improves one’s longevity and cognitive functions as you grow older.”

Rekha, who is also a mother of two, shares a similar point of view — “Running gives me my ‘me time’ and essentially kickstarts the day for me. I can’t compromise on my one hour of exercise. It also gives one a new and fresh perspective towards life. That said, new runners should not get too excited and over work because of the high they get out of it. The bottom line is, one should not run everyday — it might badly affect the knees and other parts of the body.”

Economical than other sports
Vijay also mentions that running has an edge over other sports because it’s affordable. “All you need is a shoe, nothing else. And for long distance running, you won’t even necessarily need that — running barefoot is more effective.” Swaminathan, who agrees, adds, “You also don’t need another person — or a team, like you do in sports like cricket, tennis and more.”