Chennai marathon a damp squib
The 2008 Chennai Marathon was organised or more appropriately ill-organised on Sunday. Few in the city heard about it and fewer, this post says, took part. I wonder what was the big hurry to organise a marathon in this fashion.
Singapore and Mumbai seem to have much better organised marathons. Don’t we in Chennai, rightfully have, a claim to have a well-organised marathon? Especially because this city is home to many groups of runners.
Amazing Post Nandhu. Please stop your comparison of the Chennai otta pandhayam with the Singapore and Bombay Counter Parts. What’s the cause of this run in Chennai if I ask myself; I find uncomfortable truths about it. It’s for the elitist crowd who want to trample upon people and show it by way of running around the city only with their packs. It’s a closed group of people who want to unjustly self enrich them rather than benefit the society in any possible way.
Further I want to discuss the concept of Sports Quota prevalent in Anna University and other colleges in T. Nadu. Folks if you really look into the guys who get the sports quota seat in Anna University its startling to find only the real rich people there. Guys gals from rowing, squash, tennis and swimming make it in there (not sportsmen from other areas like running, basketball, volleyball etc more of a commoners game) and the irony is they don’t do anything after that. Example an amazing person called Kutraleeshwaran got a sports quota seat in Anna University in a premier group. After that Kutraleeshwaran quit swimming for ever. Is this why was he given a seat there???????? Sporting activities in Chennai is for recreation and breeding business tie-ups and caste associations rather than for any noble cause. Look at the pictures of the runners I don’t see any Women,Physically challened folks, Old aged people,kids,white people,Kenyans…………. like I did in the Bombay marathon or people from other ethnic backgrounds! WHY???????????????
Less than 50 runners participated in the full marathon..Sick Man Chennai obviously Sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have heard about the 2006 chennai marathon collapse,i thought of participating in this marathon just for fun,but then due to personnel reasons ,couldn’t turn up.After reading this post i think i didn’t waste my time trying to participate.
@chennairunner:: This is a whole new aspect of yours that i havn’t thought off.Are you a sportsperson??
@to all readers::Just visit my blog on Chennai Marathon2008,read my point of view(POV),and please drop in your comments…
I have heard about the 2006 chennai marathon collapse,i thought of participating in this marathon just for fun,but then due to personnel reasons ,couldn’t turn up.After reading this post i think i didn’t waste my time trying to participate.
@chennairunner:: This is a whole new aspect of yours that i havn’t thought off.Are you a sportsperson??
@to all readers::Just visit my blog on Chennai Marathon2008,read my point of view(POV),and please drop in your comments…
sorry for multiple comments,i really don’t know what the problem is.Really sorry..
Ironically I am a runner from chennai. I really don’t know the definition of a sportsperson. because I am not working in a Government firm with a sports quota. i am just like most of the folks in India who will be denied a place in the sate or district team without paying the way through or having fake certificates and masking the age. Further, I am not family who can afford to play in YMCA grounds or Nehru stadium. i am a person who choose to stay out of sports like everyone of you. Its a pity I you all cannot do anything about the status of sports and attitude of sports in Tamilnadu, leave alone bigger things like Asian games and Olympics, which we see in T.V enjoy when other country men win win win and India Loses bigggggtime and yeah we all love cricket man and talk endlessely about it and waste everbodys time in the world…………. Chennai Sucks and Cricket Sucks.
They should certainly have given more publicity for marathons like this. At the very least, it might increase health awareness among the citizens. Does the Mumbai marathon depend on private funding for publicity?
Certainly, a big let-down indeed!
One should not compare chennai and mumbai marathons.Author himself has said Mumbai marathon is well organised….if the organisers miss it out, why to blame chennai or why to say chennai sucks?? Mumbai n chennao are cities with different proportions…….
Its not Standard & chartered which sponsored chennai marathon…not even TCS which has bigger presence in chennai whereas same TCS was a frontline sponsor in mumbai….
till this second, if u say mumbai…everyone just goes beyond that simply…bcoz it has got that much publicity over tge years….thanks to TOI one simple example…and now its Bangalore turn to getting into limelight..
if one sees chennai, the growth in any sector is conservative but steady….it doesnt mean the city is conservative and there is absolutely no need to feel "chennai sucks".
If the no of participants in this edition of mumbai marathon is 10 times greater than the first edition, it doesnt mean the first edition sucked and mumbai sucks. Finally its growth which matters altogether…
cheers,
NAMS
I am an avid marathon runner. NYC, NJ, Scranton, Philly, Cincinnati, Houston .. name it anywhere it is the back-pack runners who bring in the popularity. The folks who finish after 4 hrs in the range of 4-6 hrs keep the mass running and partcipating. It is not a spectator sport like cricket, basketball, tennis where one can sit and watch others play.
One has to enjoy running – even jogging. The organizer should encourage it than putting a 3hr – 4hr limit which puts pressure – especially in hot/humid Madras. Add to that, the route is also not all that great. Once you leave the Beach Road, it is bad – even Greenways Road is not all that great – Add to that one has to cross the Adayar Bridge and Pattinapakkam TWICE.
Running 26.2 miles itself is a challenge and add these factors – it makes life difficult.
It is not the money and it is not the elite runners who make it work, it is the common man/woman. Moreover the public look at you wierdly if one is huffing and puffing at 30kms than encouraging the runners. In that way Chennai is really cruel to the runner
Hopefully the organizers realize that and organize it in such a way so that the city participates lest they can run in Nehru Stadium making everyone do 100 laps of the 400 meter track.
Then it looks and feels like a race
"It is not the money and it is not the elite runners who make it work, it is the common man/woman"
Yes..i do agree with this…but the definition of comman man in mumbai and the same in chennai is much different…and of course publicity and marketing helps much in bringing the same common man to the streets for running…!
The common man should have the awareness abt marathon or any other sport to participate in it..
I dont think the hot and humid conditions will play a part if at all the spirit is ignited…
NAMS