Chennai Half Marathon (27 Sep 2009)

My home town Chennai organized its second half marathon last Sunday (27 Sep 2009) and I am proud to have run for Chennai. I am regular runner,doing a 10K or 12K on weekends. I was quite excited about running in the second edition of the Chennai Half Marathon because it is my city. This was my 4th official half marathon. This year the event required each and every participant running the half marathon to undergo a medical test,to test their capability to run such a long distance. This was because last year's event witnessed a couple of unfortunate deaths,participants pushing themselves beyond their capabilities and subsequently succumbing to exhaustion.

The BIB no. assigned to me was 4109 and decided to wear the new outfit,which I purchased last week from ADIDAS. I must say the new outfit was pretty cool and comfortable. I had a light dinner the previous night ( soup and oat meal ). My mom decided to drop me in the morning and also decided to stay there till I finished my race. We started at 5:10 from home and reached the starting point by 5:25. I did my usual warm up exercises and prepared to get going. I met my fellow Chennai Runners and it was really a boost to see them all. This cheered me even more.

The event was flagged off by Mrs. Kanimozhi (MLA) and I started my run in the usual relaxed manner. This year the event was organized in a better way. I carried my own 500ml bottle though water stations were available throughout the route. I completed the 12K mark in 1:23:00 hrs, wanting to finish the entire distance within 2:15:00 but I clocked 2:40:06. I didn't want to strain myself too hard and end up hurting myself. It was quite a journey and I  am pleased that I completed it successfully.

As it rained the other night the climate was cool and pleasant. This year many people came down from their homes to cheer the runners on the street. This was very encouraging and it gave me an added incentive to push harder towards the goal. One thing I noticed was the water bottles handed over at the water stations were too big and people were wasting water. It would have been good if smaller bottles were provided or water provided in paper cups. The latter option would have been wiser because firstly you don't waste water and secondly you don't degrade the environment with plastics. Anways kudos to all the volunteers and organizers to have conducted such a wonderful event and I look forward to the Chennai Marathon getting bigger and bigger every year.

HAPPY RUNNING