“Arey yaar, who in their right mind wakes up at 4 am for a marathon?” There are people who hit the bed around that time.
*Tring Tring* *Snooze*
However, on 10 December 2017, hundreds and thousands of people had gathered at Rakab Ganj Gurudwara, New Delhi, for the Super Sikh Run – One Race, One Humanity. All for the love of running! (Or just the lack of love for sleeping).
Seekh lo from the Sikh Run.
Run Wide, Run Far, Run-deep!
Actor Randeep Hooda was seen flagging off the participants at the starting line sporting a turban and a flowing beard.
Par Randeep Hooda ko badle mein kya mila? *Battle of Saragarhi ka promotion*
The Chak De Spirit!
“This is the first run for all three of us. We are all about maintaining our heritage and supporting what is ‘right’. This event is not just about running a marathon, it is about running for the right cause. From the very beginning, we wanted our son to have an upbringing where we value the basic principles of unity and compassion.”
Dimaag Ke Ghode Daudao!
“Me and my nephew, who is just 10, have been running for the past two years. People should not run just for the sake of running, but instead, for a noble cause. People should follow good practices that their religion preaches. Running is not about developing physical fitness, but also about developing mental fitness.”
Dhol Wajda, Tumba Wajda
“Organising mein problems kuch nahi hoti! Ek baar dhol bajj gaya toh sab sahi ho jaata hai. The Dhol takes care of all the problems.
Once you start running, you can easily wake up at three in the morning. I wake up at 3 am in the morning, leave my house at 3.30 am, reach Gurgaon by 4.30 am, pick up my friends, and reach the Aravalis at 5 am for a run. Running is very addictive. It’s a good kind of addiction. It is almost like meditation. Once you start running, there is no stopping. Once the bug bites you, there is no cure to it.”
Band! Baaja! Bruaaah!
The show was set. The band and the dhols had begun. The participants had started warming up – all for the love of running. Many participants were seen dancing their way through the run.
Bas Ek Run!
“I am here for the love of running. I have been running for the past one year and it’s an amazing thing to do. You participate in one event and you will get hooked on to it automatically. I have seen that happen to myself, and I have seen that happen to many others. Even if the event is at 4 am, you will wake up at 3 am for the love of running.”
Race Ka Craze!
“Both of us have been running for the past 11 years. Waking up early and staying fit is a lifestyle. It’s very simple to get into the habit of running. There are several events around the country which are free of cost where you can find lots of like-minded people. Once you start attending any of these events, you will get addicted to running.”
Rok Sako Toh Rok Lo!
“I have been keeping myself fit for the past 28 years or so. I have been doing half marathon for the past three years, and other than that, I have been doing long distance cycling of about 100 km every weekend and it helps me stay fine and fit.
I would urge the youngsters to keep themselves fit, the country fit, and the community fit to have a wonderful race to keep the human kind healthy.”
It Wasn’t Easy, but We Made It!
Waking up early was not so easy for us. We too had to deal with snoozing alarm clocks and the Delhi winter. However, once we reached the venue, there was no looking back. The energy was ecstatic and inspired many people who were there only to watch the event. We were motivated and inspired to start running ourselves.
PS: Look out for us in the upcoming marathons.
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