Once upon a time, there existed a man named Pheidippides who lived in the town of Marathon in Greece. He fought as a soldier in the “Battle of Marathon”, a renowned battle in the Greco-Persian series of wars. Legend has it that when the Greeks triumphed over the Persians, Pheidippides was sent to deliver the news of their victory to the Athenian Royal Assembly. The Greeks, needless to say, were absolutely delighted to hear the news; celebrations ensued all over the kingdom and they lived happily ever after. (Well, except for the poor bloke, who after having run twenty-five miles from Marathon to Athens ceaselessly, collapsed and died just after delivering the news)
Almost two millenniums later, when the first modern Olympic Games were set to happen in Athens, the conductors were looking for something which would promote and popularize the games. What better way to attract the masses than to commemorate the fable of the legendary run of Pheidippides during the Battle of Marathon? Hence, the idea of conducting a long-distance race for a huge number of participants came up. Thankfully, since the idea was born in Greece they named it a “Marathon Race”, instead of coming up with something bizarrely patriotic like a “Pheidippides Rashtriya Running Yojana”.
Since then, Marathons are now not only held as a part of the Olympics, once every four years, but are also conducted often in various countries throughout the year. What has changed is not just the frequency, but also the entire concept of Marathon. From the insanely high prize money, and the availability of expert healthcare and refreshment facilities throughout the route, to the concept of “pay and run” where participants run the marathon to show their support for a cause. There is even the inclusion of a category for the wheelchair-bound disabled participants. With time the distance of a marathon has also been gradually reduced from the standard 42.2 km (26.2 miles) to various categories covering a distance of 21.1km (half-marathon), 10 km, and even as small a distance as 3km for the extremely lazy souls. Clearly, Marathons have become a worldwide phenomenon, with hundreds of them organized throughout the year within India itself.
When it comes to catching up with global trends, we the student population of Manipal leave no path untrodden. The Manipal Runner’s Club in association with Protons Runners has come up with the idea of The Manipal Marathon, a first of its kind. Being the very first marathon to be organized in Manipal, the idea has been well-received by Manipal University and along with the university itself, huge names like the Adani Group and Syndicate Bank have shown a keen interest in sponsoring the event. With all bases covered, the event is set to happen on the 5th of March, 2017.
With four race categories, namely the traditional half-marathon (21.1km), a 10km run and “Fun Runs” with 5km and 3km runs, the event promises to take one through a route rich with the scenic beauty of the Udupi-Manipal terrain. Aid stations and emergency medical assistance will be available throughout the route as well. One must register under the category they wish before the 1st of March, in order to participate in the run. While registration for the 3km and 5km runs is free of cost, a meager fee is charged for the 10km and half-marathon categories which covers a goodie bag containing a timing chip, bib, t-shirt, finisher’s medal, timing certificate, refreshments throughout the route and breakfast post-race. As an icing on the cake, the winners get grand cash prizes, ranging as high as Rs. 70,000. Need we say anymore?
Link for the Registration form: marathon.manipal.edu
For further information and details visit manipalmarathon.com
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