A midnight Runners Inc

India’s only midnight marathon, the Bangalore Midnight Marathon is back with its 11th edition. The fundraising event organised by the Rotary Bangalore IT Corridor is aimed at creating a platform to raise funds for health, education, social welfare and rural enlistment projects. With more than 90,000 participants from around the world having taken part in this event since its first edition, we talk to  participants in the latest midnight run, and ask them how they are preparing for it, and also their experiences with previous marathons.

The best part of such a marathon is that there is no age bar. Spoorthi Seethamma Muruvanda who works with Dell EMC says, “I have always been a runner, and therefore I run three to five days a week. According to the rigours of the event, I plan out my distance and strength training. A week or two before the event, I become  particular about my diet. I see people older and younger than just run past me in this marathon i think its the best part and my main motivation.

Night marathons can be scary for women. But it is organised in way that I’m sure there is no scope for mishaps to take place as cops and volunteers are stationed throughout the distance.” She advises new runners to avoid trying out new gear or exercises closer to the date of the event.

For a beginner, a marathon might sound like a humongous task but the completion is within you and not with others. Jahnavi Matravadia, a global programme manager at IBM says, “Having always been a runner, I am training three days a week and on other days, I cross train — walking or doing yoga. Previously, I had done Satara Hill Marathon as a group. But I really misunderstood the terrain and the weather, hence I was able to complete it only by walking.  I think night marathons are the best  as the heat factor and traffic are not there. Chilly December weather is perfect for this marathon”

Running a marathon can  become boring as you are running long stretches alone. This marathon is more like a carnival than a marathon. Geeta Bisht, a senior service engineer for Fidelity National Financial, says, “I am a regular runner and have been running for a good number of years. I will be doing seat workout, tempo runs, strength and conditioning exercises. I am a complete foodie so I don’t count my calories, I just ensure that I burn calories regularly. I have done a few half-marathons, and one full marathon. I think doing a night marathon is like going for a carnival as it has stalls, bands etc. I feel that the energy is always up during such marathons. I did my personal best in my first marathon — the midnight marathon.” Preparation need to be done before running a marathon — proper exercise to strengthen muscles and diet etc. Dr Gurmeet Soni, paediatrician advises, “For a full marathon, I think it is necessary to have at least 16 to 20 weeks of preparation which I am doing. I run about three to four times a week, and do combinations of things like intervals, tempo, one easy run and strength training etc. I follow a balanced diet so there are not many changes. An experience I will remember is the marathon I did in Berlin with 45,000 full marathoners. New runners  should  stay consistent, follow a plan, don’t go overboard.”