No winner but no whiners either

A Kenyan won the Sunday run and to be brutally frank, Mumbai, which breaks into 8217;Dus bahaane8217; be it Ganapati, Dandiya or the end-w...

3 min readMumbaiJan 16, 2006 12:00 AM IST

A Kenyan won the Sunday run and to be brutally frank, Mumbai, which breaks into ’Dus bahaane’ be it Ganapati, Dandiya or the end-winter Marathon, held no austere pretensions of discerning Daniel Rono’s 2:12.03 course-record or raving about his rally from Babulnath onwards.

The mood at the 3rd Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon was that of a carnival with celebrities, confetti, costumes, cameras and cheer-leaders, and not many would claim they had missed Joseph Sugut from last year.

The idea was to enjoy the party as hosts – by partying literally – since the African mastery over the event leaves little room to celebrate our own clocked timings.

Consolation claps are what we can offer, and we might as well do that to the tune of some peppy music. While the infant marathon, babbling with excitement, takes its time to mature.

While hordes of ordinary runners succesfully graduated from the dream runs to the half marathons, others progressed from 21 to finishing 42 this year, and even the course records were rewritten. But the changing attitude towards the long run was best summed up by Piyush Mehta who trudged back at the stroke of twelve.

Cramping badly and limping towards the medical station, Mehta croaked, ’’I don’t know why I put myself through this every year ?’’ Attended to promptly and after some fluid flowed back in his system, Mehta managed a smile while saying, ’’Next year maybe I should start practicing earlier and with more focus, so I can boast of my timings.’’ This marathon’s already growing up.

Street kids make a killing in a field littered with bottles

Story continues below this ad

Mumbai: The men’s winner Rono Daniel went home with 30,000. The women’s champ Mulu Setoka got 20,000. On the sidelines Chand Mubarak was richer by Rs 700 while Babu had managed a personal best of Rs 550.

With mercury rising and body fluids diping, the ragpickers at VT made a killing. 31,000 exhausted runners with parched throats meant a finish line littered with empty mineral water bottles. Though there were no exhaustive statistics available but the Chand and Babu say that they have had a good day at the office.

It was a surprising start to the day for Chand who wondered ’’why so many people have gathered here’’. Didn’t he know it was the marathon and also the Greatest Race of the World on? He shakes his head and says, ’’Bhagwan jaane kya ho raha hai, pur dhanda accha hai’’.

Shivani Naik

Shivani Naik is a senior sports journalist and Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She is widely considered one of the leading voices in Indian Olympic sports journalism, particularly known for her deep expertise in badminton, wrestling, and basketball. Professional Profile Role: Assistant Editor and Columnist at The Indian Express. Specialization: While she covers a variety of sports, she is the primary authority on badminton for the publication. She also writes extensively about tennis, track and field, wrestling, and gymnastics. Writing Style: Her work is characterized by "technical storytelling"—breaking down the biomechanics, tactics, and psychological grit of athletes. She often provides "long reads" that explore the personal journeys of athletes beyond the podium. Key Topics & Recent Coverage (Late 2025) Shivani Naik’s recent articles (as of December 2025) focus on the evolving landscape of Indian sports as athletes prepare for the 2026 Asian Games and beyond: Indian Badminton's "Hulks": She has recently written about a new generation of Indian shuttlers characterized by power and physicality, such as Ayush Shetty and Sathish Karunakaran, marking a shift from the traditionally finesse-based Indian style. PV Sindhu’s Resurgence: A significant portion of her late-2025 work tracks PV Sindhu’s tactical shifts under new coaching, focusing on her "sparkle" and technical tweaks to break out of career slumps. The "Group of Death": In December 2025, she provided detailed tactical previews for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s campaign in the BWF World Tour Finals. Tactical Deep Dives: She frequently explores technical trends, such as the rise of "backhand deception" in modern badminton and the importance of court drift management in international arenas. Legacy and History: She often revisits the careers of legends like Saina Nehwal and Syed Modi, providing historical context to current Indian successes. Notable Recent Articles BWF World Tour Finals: Satwik-Chirag have it all to do to get through proverbial Group of Death. (Dec 2025) The age of Hulks in Indian badminton is here. (Dec 2025) Treadmill, Yoganidra and building endurance: The themes that defined the resurgence of Gayatri and Treesa. (Dec 2025) Ayush Shetty beats Kodai Naraoka: Will 20-year-old be the headline act in 2026? (Nov 2025) Modern Cinderella tale – featuring An Se-young and a shoe that fits snugly. (Nov 2025) Other Sports Interests Beyond the court, Shivani is a passionate follower of South African cricket, sometimes writing emotional columns about her irrational support for the Proteas, which started because of love for Graeme Smith's dour and doughty Test playing style despite being a left-hander, and sustained over curiosity over their heartbreaking habit of losing ICC knockouts. You can follow her detailed analysis and columns on her official Indian Express profile page. ... Read More

Loading Recommendations...

May 20: Latest News

Live Blog