MARATHON

Months of focussed zeal and marathon efforts bore fruit for Goan architect, Sunil Sardessai as he successfully completed the half marathon at Mumbai. The event put on display the inspiring spirit of the marathon reflected in the body language of the thousands of athletes, recreational runners, enthusiastic elders and the physically challenged who took up the test in various categories of the Mumbai marathon.

The marathon celebrates the legend of Pheidippides, the Greek soldier, who ran non-stop to deliver a message from the battlefield of Marathon to Athens and then collapsed to his death. Ever since its launch in modern Olympics, the foot race has become popular. In the 800 marathons organised annually all over the globe, the bulk of the runners are recreational athletes like Sunil who run many lessons for us.

It requires daring to choose a worthy challenge and perseverance to train and prepare for it. It involves disciplined practice sessions as well as significant lifestyle changes. The focus is to BE BETTER… to lay greater worth to the ability to improve personal performance with reference to a previous effort. Most do not run a marathon to win; they find success in completing it! Let’s embrace the lessons from the marathon: to dare, to persevere and to be better than the earlier effort!

To BE BETTER is the lesson from the marathon,

Let’s persevere to complete the challenge song!

- Pravin K. Sabnis