The race to run: How running has sparked a fitness revolution

As the summer recedes, parks in the national capital transform into training grounds. The sight of runners dressed in quick-dry attire, smartwatch on the wrists or a smartphone strapped to the arm, a hydration pack or a bottle of water in one hand, jostling for space amid morning walkers is ubiquitous. All in preparation for the coveted Delhi Half Marathon that is held in the month of October every year.  

Marathon registrations have soared, more so after the Covid-19 pandemic. Abhishek Mishra, ultra-triathlete and coach who has been running for the past 15 years has witnessed the running revolution first hand.  

“I remember in my first full marathon (42.195 km) in Mumbai there were 700-800 runners. And in 2011, when I ran the Delhi half marathon (21.097 km), there would have been 5,000-6,000 participants.”  

The recently concluded Tata Mumbai Marathon saw around 60,000 participants – up from 36,000 in 2010 – of which over 12,000 ran the full marathon, and more than 14,500 ran the half marathon distance. Today, India has 2.5 million registered runners and over 1,600 running events. So, what has stirred this running revolution?  

Fitness and FoMo

At 60, Sunil Sikri hung up his boots and put on his running shoes. He finally found the time and grit to embark on his running journey, gradually from 5 km to 10 km to a half marathon recently. Now 69, Sikri credits running for his good health and joie de vivre.  

“I am certain that running improves immunity and makes you physically and mentally strong. Moreover, it makes you a better person,” he says, adding that he can be spotted at more than 30 running events in a year.  

Up until the pandemic, Khushi Pahwa, 30, had no fitness regimen. Watching people diligently running on the roads and seeing influencers post running pictures on Instagram piqued her curiosity. She decided to see what the hype was all about and set out on a 5 km jog with the Nike Running Club app running on her smartphone. It took her 40 minutes to run 5 km, a stat she vowed to improve with the help of a basic smartwatch and some coaching from the Nike app. Today, this marketing professional runs ultramarathons. 

For some, the thrill of running a marathon alongside thousands amid music and fanfare is a triumphant reminder of the limits pushed; for some, it is a healthy distraction from hectic work life; for others it is a means to stay fit and keep ailments in check.  

An increasing number of people, especially in the age range of 30-45, are signing up with coaches to accomplish these. Typically, coaching is goal-based – whether the trainee has eyes set on a full marathon, an ultrarun or wants to better their timing – costs Rs 3,000-4000 per month and is a mix of strength training and running.   

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10 years ago, Himanshu Kathuria was a shy, diffident 21-year-old, weighing 103 kg. Running, he says, helped him get fit, gain confidence, and aim for physically challenging pursuits. The 31-year-old has not only run marathons but is now training under Mishra for the formidable Khardungla Challenge (72 km) in Ladakh to be held in September.  

While runners vouch for the unparalleled ecstasy of a runner’s high, the mental wellbeing aspect of the sport is also significant. Megha Kishore, an avid marathoner, considers running to be therapeutic. “When you go for a run outdoors, it releases happy hormones. Your ability to deal with the stresses of life improves, and you realise what is truly important, and what is not,” she says. Kishore took to running seriously in 2020, and is a coach with the Asics Running Club Delhi. She also coaches around 40 runners online.  

Most runners I spoke to were part of a running club and attested to a sense of community and friendship the sport nurtures. Last year, Juby George, a theoretical physicist and ardent runner, started a trail running group for women called Trail Femmes.  

Every month a group of women, mostly 35+ years old, go running and exploring trails in and around Delhi. “We might spend two hours outdoors, but complete only 10k; because we are stopping along the way, enjoying the scenery, clicking pictures, talking about issues that affect us,” she says.  

Tech Support

Pahwa invests a substantial amount of money towards her running gear – a smartwatch that costs Rs 28,000, running shoes that cost over Rs 15,000 and a reliable hydration bag for long runs that could cost around Rs 5,000.  

“Before I was into running, I never thought I would spend so much on a smartwatch or any running accessory. Once you get into it and see the results, you realise it is totally worth spending.” 

Coaches believe that smartwatches help bring in a structure to the runs and offer useful insights for training. And runners have clear favourites: Garmin and Coros.  

Garmin Forerunner 265 and Coros Pace 3 – popularised by legendary marathoner Eliud Kipchoge routinely feature in the best running watches list. “Interval runs, tempo runs, heartrate training, etc, cannot be done with all smartwatches. What you can do with Garmin, you cannot do with Apple,” Mishra says.  

Coaching, whether online or offline, relies heavily on smartwatch data. Distance, pace, cadence (number of steps per minute), and, most notably, heartrate are parameters closely monitored and analysed post run. Runners in training upload their statistics on Strava for their coach’s perusal. Strava is also where runners get a sense of how they stack up against their contemporaries, network with them, and explore new routes. 

Pune-based running coach Vijay Bansod’s advice to runners is to first figure out their resting heartrate. “If your resting heartrate is 70-80, you should ensure that it rises to around 100 by doing a good warm-up routine. That’s when it is ideal to start your run.”  

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Cardiologists insist on keeping an eye on the heartrate throughout the run to avoid mishaps. Dr Sanjay Kumar, Director of Cardiology, Fortis, Faridabad, suggests a handy calculation. “Your maximum heartrate limit is 220 minus your age; and you must achieve only 85-90 per cent of it, not beyond that.”  

The running fervour has gripped men, women, adults, and senior citizens alike. Facebook and Instagram are brimming with pictures of runners posing with their medals, awash with exhaustion and pride.  

Mishra, a finisher at multiple Ironman triathlons, shares an amusing observation. “Back in 2008, in Gurgaon, I used to see people boasting about the places they vacation and party at. Things have changed radically. Today, people are bragging about running marathons.”