Gung-ho: Rahul Bose (fourth from left) at the Mumbai Marathon 2003; the route map of the event this year

Where there is a will, there is a way…

A clutch of heart patients from the Asian Heart Institute Cardiac Rehabilitation Centre in Mumbai will be among those running the ‘dream run’ tomorrow. They have been gearing up for the event for the last five months in different ways. Part of the preparation has been to build up stamina, under the guidance of a medical expert, by gradually increasing distance — from three km in the beginning to six km. Says Prem Popli, one of the ‘dream run’ participants, who had a bypass surgery last year, the seven-km run will be a cakewalk, adding, “I do not mind if it’s extended to 11 km!”

Winter in Mumbai is very pleasant — not too cold, not too hot. And the weather has been consistently good with blue skies, white clouds and refreshing sea breezes in the evening. The perfect climate for a marathon.

The countdown for the Standard Chartered International Marathon had began months ago, with literally thousands of people — athletes and ordinary folk alike — from all over the world signing up. Finally the wait is over. The countdown ends tomorrow. Tomorrow is D-day.

From Mumbai’s Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus the sea is not that far off, but tomorrow the tides will reach the very doorsteps of of the train terminus. Well at least a sea of people, in multicoloured t-shirts, shorts, track pants and other sports gear, who will gather there. From here the marathon is scheduled to take off, sharp at 7 in the morning.

If you watch carefully — the marathon will be telecast live on television — you will spot, among the contestants warming-up before the run, actor-director-producer Rahul Bose. That’s right, the man who believes that everyone says they are fine, is one of the contestants for tomorrow’s run.

Contacted at his residence a couple of days before the event to find out if he is adequately prepared, he says he’s doing just fine. Isn’t he one bit nervous? “No,” he says, explaining, “I am just running the ‘dream run’.”

The marathon, which will wind its way through the city northwards to finish at Dadar, is divided into three parts. The ‘full marathon’, which is 42.2 kilometres, the ‘half marathon’, which is 21 kilometres and the ‘dream run’, which is seven kilometres.

Bose has opted for the third category. And he doesn’t hesitate to admit that this is because it’s the easiest one. “Running 42 km or even 21 km is very tough,” he explains, “and you have to be very careful. It’s physically demanding — even your blood composition changes. A lot of full-time athletes are undertaking these difficult runs and even these pros are training hard for it.”

But even seven kilometres is no joke, you point out to him (imagine running from Gariahat More all the way to BBD Bag, past Esplanade!). Surely it’s not an easy feat for a non-athlete? So how is he training for it?

“I am not really preparing specifically for the run,” he says. “However, I play squash and rugby (at Bombay Gymkhana) regularly and generally try and stay fit.” He also walks, jogs, swims and practises Tibetan Lama, three times a week.

As you speak — on the landline — he gets a call on his mobile phone. It’s from his gym instructor, reminding him of the eight km he is scheduled to run on the treadmill. Is this in preparation for the marathon?

“No,” he laughs, “it’s part of my general fitness regime. But it should come in handy tomorrow.”

Though Bose himself is not specifically training for tomorrow’s run, he believes in order to take part in a marathon — whether long distance or short — one does need certain disciplines. “What you do need is a great deal of grit and determination,” he says. “You have to be ready to persevere. When you sign up you make a kind of commitment to do something and you have a responsibility to at least try and fulfil that. Personally, I believe in completing what I start.”

Do you also need to prepare mentally? “I am not doing anything specific,” he says. However, meditation is a part of Tibetan Lama, which gives him a sense of calm that stays with him.

Of course, Bose is not interested in winning contests. He is essentially running for a cause. Money raised in the marathon will go towards charity — Bose’s contribution to the Spastic Society of India. Though spectator tickets will account for much of the money raised, most of the funds will come from corporate sponsorships.

“I will go to any lengths for a good cause,” Bose puns. But jokes apart, his charity work is well known. He has been involved in campaigns against gender inequality, he has done his bit to spread AIDS awareness and he has worked closely with a Connecticut-based non-governmental organisation, called Sneha, which works with battered women. Right now he is on its advisory board.

The loneliness of marathon runners is legendary … how does he plan to tackle it? “I am very comfortable being on my own for long periods of time. And I don’t think what long distance runners experience is necessarily loneliness. It’s more a strong sense of being with oneself.”

In fact, 59-year old marathoner, John Wallace, who was in India in January, spoke of “the high of running”. So strong is this urge to run that he (Wallace) decided to run the entire course of the Mumbai marathon when he came last month, because he wouldn’t be in Mumbai for the actual event. On a windy Tuesday morning, when the city was asleep, he just took off. He said to reporters that he found it difficult to explain why he was doing this (it wouldn’t even be counted at the time of the final tallying). “Only an athlete, I guess, can understand it,” he said.

As for Bose, he is just happy that he will run tomorrow. And no he doesn’t know why it’s called ‘dream run’ and he doesn’t really care much about that. “It’s just a name, I guess,” he laughs. “It’s about marketing.”