Women with wings

Get Going Marathon 2018, Aurangabad

By Veloscope

October 2^nd, 2018

The agents of social change

A unique running race at Aurangabad necessitated that, to register, men had to ask a woman to register with them. If you were male, and wanted to participate, you had to dip into an exercise in codependence, and ask your mother, wife, daughter or friend to run with you. If you were a woman who wanted to participate, you were encouraged to do so, and maybe include into running, someone else in your circle - male or female. The tagline of the race was "Run WITH her."

The idea of using the power of running as a method to bring about social change was that of a group of "Get Goers": professional women in the space of wellness and healing, who combined their love for wellness with their love for community building, and through the year, organise walks, treks, hikes, runs etc. to encourage more people from their communities to Get Going. The Get Going Marathon completed its 8th edition this year. Cities like Aurangabad, that are coming up the curve of progress are seeing changes in their society, with women having the avenues to go after their cherished dreams, and these changes are reflected in how their lives unfold.

A woman never runs alone

Once a woman gets used to the feeling of the wind in her hair while on the run, the curve of her instep as she turns a corner, the feeling of that kick as she speeds up to the finish line, she is not going to look back. Lounging about in the sofa with her friends and eating snacks is going to pale in comparison to greeting the rising sun with a run with friends in the morning.

Running has the ability to add emotional stability - science supports this thought. We become more resilient, we are less ready to give up - be it on the race, or on a course of action, or indeed, our own hopes and dreams. When we run, we are running away from not just physical ailments, but also from stress, anxiety and depression.

The benefit of running for women is not just the much needed "me time", in the busy days that we all find ourselves in, but also a time to clear the head, to prioritise life goals, to let go of baggage, and to meet like-minded women, who have their own wellness stories to share. These stories multiply and become the bedrock for the next generation of fit, healthy, emotionally resilient beings.

When women take control of the wellness narrative within their families, within a generation, the lifestyle issues that plague our nation and its cities - cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, obesity etc. will all be brought under check. A woman never runs alone - she runs, cupping in her hands the wellness of her community.

the Next Gen races ahead

What has started as a 5k and 10k race with this event has the potential to go to an Olympic gold. Be it the legendary women's marathon world record holder, Paula Radcliffe or "Baby-faced destroyer", Tirunesh Dibaba, the world's most recognised marathoners started with a 5k or a 10k race when they were children. When women run, they encourage their daughters to run professionally, run after their goals, run behind comrades in support, and race ahead of time and accomplish the impossible. Many such stories often start with "My first 5k race...."

celebrating life

The event was not just an opportunity to get out of home and run, it was also a festival - with good food, and people showcasing their nourishing abilities; it was a music and dance extravaganza, with the drumbeat of the street, children dancing, the community volunteering refreshments, and the glow of an event successfully executed!

carved in stone

The indicators of success for this race are not the finish times of the podium finishers but the camaraderie and feelings of fellowship that the little community of runners feel with each other. The expectation that is now 8 years long, of waiting for the event to come, to run across the familiar faces, often some aged just a little, of catching up on each others lives, of wishing them well, and wishing the young ones luck on their journeys.

The race is run, its time to go home

A note of appreciation is warranted for the men who came out in support of the women in their lives that they admire, cherish and are thankful for.

From the start of the race, to the finish, a running race is a thing of beauty. It brings to the fore some of humanity's most endearing and enduring behaviour. We start strong, and start together. We plough on. We muscle through the uphills and the trying times. We run downhill with the forgotten glee of children (only to hold our knees at the bottom and wish we had gone easier) We run with each other, run past each other, watch others go past - sometimes with envy , sometimes with wistfulness, and sometimes with pride.