Mumbai, (By Sachin Murdeshwar) : It’s been an eventful nine-year journey for the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon. A journey that has seen the event grow across every paradigm. A journey that has been embellished with milestoneis and earned recognition and kudos from various quarters.
It’s now time to begin the countdown to the tenth Anniversary Celebrations of the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon and, befitting the occasion, special plans have been put into he place to make the 10th edition an unforgettable experience for all those who partake in the celebrations.
Running on the Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link, the Marathon Flame coming to Mumbai, the release of the Marathon Anthem and the launch of the special edition Marathon coffee table book have all been landmark occasions in the short but eventful journey of the Marathon. It’s now time to do something even more special!
To commemorate the 10th year of the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon, a special trophy has been instituted for the overall men’s and women’s winners.
This special trophy, designed by celebrated sculptor and painter Paresh Maity, was released by His Excellency the Governor of Maharashtra, Shri K Sankaranarayanan in the presence of Sri Chhagan Bhujbal and Sri Anil Deshmukh. Also present was Sunil Kaushal, CEO Standard Chartered, the title sponsors, N Chandrasekaran, CEO & MD, TCS, the Associate Sponsor and representatives of the various partners to the event. Adding sparkle to the evening was renowned French illusionist and mentalist Lior Suchard.
The occasion was also used to announce the final registration figures and give details on the Get Active Event Expo.
Ten years is definitely a milestone for a mass running event. It vindicates the belief and the vision shared by the promoters, sponsors and various partners to the event. It justifies the faith shown by the fathers of the city it is run in. It signifies acceptance by one and all.
In the nine years of its existence and in the run up to the landmark 10th year, the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon has achieved all of the above and much, much more.
Besides changing the lives of thousands and thousands of people in the city by introducing them to the benefits of running, the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon has also set into motion a running movement that has now taken the country by storm.
The Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon has also touched the lives of countless individuals through its strong charity drive, having helped raise a staggering Rs 71 crores towards charity through its nine editions.
N Chandrasekaran, CEO and MD, TCS said, “Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has been associated with the Mumbai Marathon for many years and we are extremely proud of the fact that the event is now in its 10th edition. As an organisation that has a young workforce, we encourage our associates to live a healthy and active lifestyle and a focus on wellness is an important part of our corporate culture. I am proud that we have over 1500 TCSers participating across various categories in this year’s event.”
“Congratulations to all the partners who have made this event an international success and placed Mumbai on the global marathon map. We look forward to participating in many more Mumbai Marathons in the years to come.” he added.
A CREATION TO CHERISH: The specially crafted Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon Trophy, designed by Paresh Maity, one of the most promising young painters of contemporary art, will be a trophy that will be awarded to the overall men’s and women’s winners, with replicas that they can take home.
A CREATION TO CHERISH: The specially crafted Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon Trophy, designed by Paresh Maity, one of the most promising young painters of contemporary art, will be a trophy that will be awarded to the overall men’s and women’s winners, with replicas that they can take home.
Elaborating on his design, Maity says, “The Trophy encapsulates the energy and the heritage of Mumbai city. The human figure exuding confidence is not just the Marathon runner but the everyday Mumbaikar, whose journey takes him across the seven islands of the city. The symbolic seven islands are also shown as spaces in the human body. Standing on seven pillars of different length the runner overcomes the seven hurdles to succeed in this race.
“For the average Mumbaikar there is great emotional connect with the marathon. The participants and the spectators see the marathon as their triumph over the hurdles of life, and not just living in Mumbai. The body language of the trophy is positive without any arrogance, but with a hint of a smile of a winner. Of one who knows that he will eventually overcome.
The seven pillars stand for Ritual, Shock, Denial, Isolation, Despair, Affirmation & Renewal. These are emotions that are visited by almost every Mumbaikar in their life and that is what makes the Marathon so dear to this city.”
Much credit should go to Vickram Sethi of the Institute of Contemporary Indian Art, who played a major role in ideating on the trophy and also helped in securing the prized services of Paresh Maity.
CASH BONANZA: Already the richest marathon in Asia, the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 2012 will now offer an enhanced prize purse of USD 350,000, an increase equivalent of USD 10,000 over what was on offer in 2013. The increase in prize money is towards the Indian prize fund and will benefit the Indian athletes in the full marathon.
The top Indian male and female finishers will now stand to gain Rs 4.50 lakh each.
REGISTRATION FIGURES: Since its inception in 2004, the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon has been embraced by the city and its citizens as its very own, the sense of ownership and belonging strengthening over the years. In the 10th year the event was oversubscribed much before the last date and it is this commitment from the participants that propels promoters Procam International, backed by the powers that govern, to deliver an even better event on January 20, 2013.
The Full Marathon has received 4169 entries, a significant increase of last year’s figure of 2775. This is definitely an encouraging trend as all the full marathoners are timed athletes, making them serious runners, which goes to show how this event has encouraged amateur runners to train hard and attempt the distance of 42.197 kms. While there was a huge demand for half marathon running places, entries to the event were restricted, finally closing at 12,742.
The Senior Citizens’ Run will have 1396 participants, while the Wheelchair Event 218, with 19,902 people registering for the Dream Run, making it a total count of 38,427 participants on Race Day.
GET ACTIVE EXPO: The Get Active Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon Expo will be held at the MMRDA Ground at the Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra (East) from January 11 to 13, 2013. The Expo will be on between 11.00 am to 7.00 pm on all the three days and will also be the venue for all confirmed participants from Mumbai and its suburbs to come and collect their running numbers along with the runner’s kit. Outstation runners can collect their running numbers and runner’s kit on January 19 between 11.00 am and 7.00 pm at the World Trade Center, Cuffe Parade.
While the Expo dates constitute an entire weekend, giving participants the whole of Friday, Saturday and Sunday to come and collect their running numbers, the period of a week before Race Day also gives them ample time to study in detail the race day instructions, familiarize themselves with the security arrangements, the traffic restrictions, the road closures and other arrangements that will come into force for Race Day.
Growing in all parameters for the past nine editions, the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon has now become the focal rallying point for the city of Mumbai because it espouses causes and values that touch every citizen, whatever the age group and regardless of their financial status and social standing. Promoters Procam International, along with the sponsors and partners, will not cease in their efforts to innovate and evolve in order to provide a memorable experience to the participant. It’s a collective task and owes its success to the constructive support of all involved.
Let’s all work towards making January 20, 2013 another Red Letter Day in Mumbai’s sporting history.
Title Sponsor: Standard Chartered Bank
Associate Sponsor: Tata Consultancy Services
Promoted by: Procam International
Under the Aegis of: Athletic Federation of India
No comments:
Post a Comment