VANAKKAM FROM THE EAST COAST.

Skechers Performance Chennai Marathon 2019

By Veloscope

February 19^th, 2019

the sun also rises.

In the week or so that marks "winter" in the beautifully old-world city of Chennai, the Chennai Runners gather for their annual pilgrimage. The weather, for the rest of the country, is a pleasant 18 degrees or so. For Chennai of the "hot and hotter" memes, this is cooler than what they are used to, all year long.

run your own race

The race stands testament to the dawn of the "by the runner, for the runner" era in Chennai. Into it's 7th edition, this race marks the time when Chennai Runners decided to own the annual ECR run plus breakfast, and make it into a bigger welcome for a larger number of runners and would be runners. It is also very inclusive, with race categories being not just the 10k, half and full marathons, but also a 20-miler for folks comfortable with the half, not yet ready for the full. Now, how come nobody else thought of that yet? Good you asked - therein lies a lovely story!

CHENNAI RUNNERS...

A bird'd eye view will tell you that this race was organised entirely by volunteers. No paid college crew, no security guards from neighbouring buildings. None of that. Entirely run by folks who have embraced the sport of running and their families who are grateful for this timely physical and mental health intervention.

... WITH 20 HEARTY CHAPTERS...

Zooming in a little more, you will see that the runners are organised into self-sufficient area-wise groups. They're grouped together with the most active volunteers being the first friendly contact point for a new runner. The community has all kinds of resources. A great example of this is the truly useable, relevant and inspiring writing in their community mag, Rundown.

...AND MORE, A LOT OF HEART...

What makes the community amazing is not that there are a lot of them. It is that folks like these are inadvertently redefining the idea of the urban community. The gap left by the joint family is now being filled by joint efforts of folks who mile together on the race route and off it. They don't just help each other when hitting the wall or with nutrition tips... they are there to talk to each other about caring for their children and their elders, about problems at work and maybe questions and concerns at home.

... To do more. Starting running is just the start

the other race

The differently abled got a platform to be seen and be counted.

At their race, what was profound is that there may not be the equipment and race training that we've seen international images of. However, the support, the partnering with them in their moment under the sun and the love given and received - on all those counts, this race and these racers - they were second to none.

Every run for everyone

The inclusiveness of the Chennai Runners group is evident in how the race was experienced by the runners. There was support given by volunteers who know experimentally what it is like to leave everything on the road, in pursuit of that distance and time. There were opportunities to raise funds. And after it was all done, there was space to unwind and watch the clouds.

Winners all

Winners across categories got their moment of glory under the wide skies, as the race wound to a close for the year.

Till the next year... do more... running!

Another version of the race with the biggest heart in the east coast comes to a close. What does not, is the daily runs, the chapter meets, the making of new friends, the running milestones of the chapters and of the individuals within the chapters... and the extraordinary running life stories of many many people of the Chennai Runners family