Are you tired of Bangalore Infrastructure? Then Run

This is what the placards standing on the newly constructed NICE Road said on the 26th of January 2008. I am talking about the Great ELCIA run organized by the ELCIA. It was a marathon conducted for the right cause, on the right venue on an auspicious day. It was for a right cause because we all know how Bangalore Infrastructure is! Thanks to some wonderful and care taking projects undertaken by the concerned authority. It was on the right venue because of all the fuss that some headless politicians have created about this Bengaluru-Mysore NICE Corridor troubling Mr. Kheny who has taken the all the pain to provide the people of Bengaluru and Mysore this world class infrastructure. It was an auspicious day because it was 26th of January - The Republic Day of India.

It was a long time since I had run 100m at a stretch and first time in my life that I had run 3.5 Km marathon. Some how I had not participated in the marathons so far conducted. Having traveled 3.5Km in a vehicle I really had no idea of how difficult it would be to run 3.5Km marathon. I had even thought of running for 7 Km. But now I know the pain. But the good thing about any marathon is you get free T-Shirts, Cap, Energy drinks, Napkins and who can forget the certificate. I think most people get lured by the comfort they are given during this marathon...just kidding.

Yellow painted everywhere on the day with banners, placards and slogans criticizing the condition of our city's infrastructure. Mr. Misra one of the Lead India Finalists flagged off the event by waving the ECLIA flag. Participants ran for the 100m finish. Probably they forgot they have to run 3.5Km. I took a slow step by step run... probably after 1Km i couldn't go anymore. I stopped by and had some glucose. Walked for some distance and started running. My legs were giving up and I could not run anymore... Thanks to the cameraman who was capturing some AXN video, he asked me to jump over the camera kept on the road. Glucose...water...Glucose...water I pushed hard by taking intermediate pit stops. I saw the finish line and made up my mind and forgot all the pain in my leg and ran hard and finished the race but to my surprise already around 150 to 200 people had finished the race and I had to get satisfied with the fact that I had completed the race.