From the frontline of a race that introduced Kolkata to the joys of running

Food, culture, cricket, football… Kolkata is associated with a lot of things but running isn’t one of them. In my early (and enthusiastic) days of distance running in the 2010s, there was not a single proper race in the country that could compel a smattering of runners from the city to travel and participate in it.

In the Kolkata of the early 2010s, you'd be met with only a handful of runners at the start line for the 25km race, and about twice that number for the 10km run. Then, in December 2014, along came the Tata Steel World 25k Kolkata… and changed things up. I ran that race. As I recall, there were only a handful of runners at the start line for the 25km race, and about twice that number for the 10km run. Despite poor turnout the organisers ensured a great experience for the participants with roads closed to vehicular traffic, properly measured and ratified race routes running past iconic locations of the city, hydration, medical aid, high quality finisher medals and decent prize money for the winners.

Last Sunday on a crisp December morning, I stood once again at the start line for the 10th edition of the home race that showed Kolkata the joys of running. No, it didn’t feel like I, along with a few other early birds, had lost our way and suddenly stumbled upon the start line of a race near the historic Eden Gardens cricket stadium.

There was a turbocharged mood all around which was distinctly different from 11 years ago. There were thousands of runners moving around to beat the nip in the crisp dawn air, chatting, warming up and slipping into race mode. About 23,000 people had turned up, with more than 6,600 runners taking part in the 25km race, and over 7,800 running the 10km. While 13,665 local residents signed up, close to 9,000 runners had travelled from from all corners of India for the race.

While all of these are great signs for a city that's famously mocked for being lazy and slow, there was good news for Indian athletics too. Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei—double Olympic champion and world record holder for 10km and 5km—won the 25km elite race breaching the finish line in 1 hour 11 minutes and 49 seconds (1:11:49), Tanzania’s Alphonce Felix Simbu came second just seven seconds slower, and Lesotho’s Tebello Ramakingoana was third at 1:11:59. Gulveer Singh, India’s national record holder in 10km and 5km, was the fastest Indian on the day clocking in at 1:12:06—just seventeen seconds behind Cheptegei and seven behind Ramakingoana.

This narrowing of the gap between Indian and international athletes is a good sign for the country's athletics as it indicates that progress is being made. The days of Indian distance runners being blown away by the global elite might soon become a thing of the past.

That running and exercise are gradually being accepted as a part of routine life in Kolkata was also evident in the fact that a number of local residents had lined up the streets to cheer the runners. This is in stark contrast to pre-covid months when most runners drew sniggers and wise-cracks as they ran past traffic and pedestrians on the city’s streets and parks.

Running a home race is always special and it lets one engage with the hometown, streets and buildings in a new way. I was familiar with every centimetre of the 10k route that I ran. I have driven through those roads way too many times but I was still able to discover and spot things that I invariably missed while commuting in an automobile. We ran past Fort William with not one vehicle honking or threatening my life and limb. Not having to look over my shoulder for an errant two-wheeler or a swerving car zooming past me at high speeds anywhere around Victoria Memorial is not a feeling I, or anyone else in the city, is familiar with. Instead of the incessant honking, there was music greeting me as I made my way on Sunday morning.

The runners weren't the only ones enjoying their sport that day; there were hundreds of football and cricket games underway all across the Maidan grounds. While young ones clapped and smiled from the sidelines, one group of middle-aged morning walking “uncles” decided to take advantage of the roads devoid of traffic and started criss-crossing on the route close to the Race Course. The dome of Victoria Memorial was covered in silver mist as I ran past it and turned towards the popular brown granite building housing the American Library.

Shortly past the American Library, 25km and 10km runners merged and dashed together towards the finish line. Beyond the finish line, runners were milling around, posing for pictures, showing off their medals, stretching and discussing the race and their performance. There was happiness all around. It was evident everywhere you looked that it was a landmark event. An event that Kolkata can call its own. An event worth traveling to Kolkata for. An event that shows that the City of Joy is a city for runners.

Shrenik Avlani is a writer and editor and the co-author of The Shivfit Way, a book on functional fitness.