Metro asked some off-beat participants what prompted them to run. Here are their answers

 Anuradha Lohia
Vice-chancellor of Presidency University

Daughter Madhura inspired Lohia to run 6.5K. Madhura ran 25K herself.

“She (Madhura) encouraged me to participate in the run. Once I reached the venue I did not regret my decision. There were several women who came to run. The sight of so many young girls and women was overwhelming,” said Lohia, who was accompanied on the run by husband Karan. 

 

 

Team CAB 

A team of representatives of the Cricket Association of Bengal turned up for the 6.5K Ananda Run. Most of them were over 60 years of age. The group included ministers Aroop Biswas and Arup Ray, Gautam Dasgupta (chairman of the CAB trust), Biswarup Dey (CAB treasurer), Subir Ganguly (CAB joint secretary), Amiya Auddy (CAB vice-president) and Shankarnath Bagchi (CAB vice-president). Bagchi is 75. 

“This was a different kind of morning with so many people braving the chill and turning up to run,” Dey said.
Bengal captain Laxmi Ratan Shukla and Ashok Dinda visited Red Road before rushing to Eden for a match.

 

 

The police team

A team of six IPS officers — Ajay Nand (special IG, Bankura-Purulia range), L.N. Meena (joint commissioner of police, establishment), Ashok Prasad (DIG, IPS cell), Gaurav Sharma (deputy commissioner, south-east division of Calcutta police), Anand Kumar (DIG, traffic) and Shree Tripurari (DIG, Burdwan range) — were present at the starting line of the 25K run in a new avatar dressed in running gear.

“Last time, I was the only one from my department who had participated in the marathon. This year, we had a discussion among ourselves and since all of us regularly work out and are involved in an array of sporting activities, we decided to go for the run,” said Sharma. 

He and the team were on Red Road by 5.20am, over an hour before the race began, and were seen warming up and posing for group photographs.

“It was a wonderful experience. I am not used to running so much at a stretch but fellow Calcuttans who ran beside me kept me going. Even when I completed the run in two hours and eight minutes, way behind many runners, people at the finishing line cheered and clapped for me. That was something very special,” said Meena.

 

Girl gang 

Known as a late riser, Alipore girl Nita Bhaiya woke up at 5am on Sunday and kept calling friends Shillpi Goel and Sangita Agarwal. By 6.15am, they were on the Maidan, joined by three more friends. All set for the 10K. Neither Nita, a freelance fashion artist, nor her friends are regular runners. 

 “It’s a wonderful feeling to run with old friends. I am not sure if I can complete the race but that doesn’t matter. We are running for fun and to be part of a larger cause,” said Nita. Shillpi was even more excited. “I had a party last night but that did not stop me from getting up at the crack of dawn. Last time, some of my friends had taken part in the run and had great fun. This time I did not want to let the opportunity pass,” said Shillpi, a resident of Theatre Road.

 

Manjula Todi 

Age: 69 years

Homemaker

Manjula underwent a knee replacement surgery three years ago. 

“People think once you undergo a knee replacement surgery, you cannot walk properly. I am here to prove the perception wrong. If I am able to inspire even one person, I will feel great,” said Todi, who participated in the run for senior citizens.

 

Gouranga Mondal 

Age: 63 years

Vegetable vendor

The resident of Chandrakona in West Midnapore turned up in saffron robe and a pair of socks.

“I try to participate in all runs and marathons in the state. I don’t need to take any medicine even at this age because I have been running and swimming since I was a teenager,” said Mondal. 

 

 

Text: Zeeshan Jawed, Rith Basu & Tamaghna Banerjee; Pictures: Anup Bhattacharya & Mayukh Sengupta