This time for Africa

Milind Soman

It is called signing off 2023 with a lot of heart and sole (pun intended). The Indian High Commission in Dar Es Salaam has announced a first-ever Friendship Run, celebrating India-Tanzania ties. The event will take place in Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania on December 30 and 31. The run is headlined by Mumbai's Milind Soman, who is the ‘face' of the Friendship Run.

Ultra-mate friends

The Friendship Run is a run of 128 km spread over two days. Day 1 will cover 64 km from Dar Es Salaam to Bagamoyo and Day 2 reverses the course, with runners ending at the start point in Dar Es Salaam. Throughout, the route will become a window to the scenic beauty of Tanzania and Bagamoyo, once a vital trading port. Soman called the Friendship Run initiative "commendable". He asked for more, "opportunities like this, uniting people from different countries, not exclusively athletes, in expansive and inclusive gatherings. It is a delightful way to exchange and celebrate our diverse cultures." Soman explained that "running is also a way for people to discover ways to infuse enjoyment and healthy practices into their daily routine."

Mumbaikar Sonia Kulkarni will run for at least 60 km per day

Running boom

The Shivaji Park native is amongst the many runners who regularly pound the roads and lanes around the Dadar enclave. He is usually spotted running barefoot. He said he was, "honoured to serve as the face of this Friendship Run. Covering over 60 km a day for two days in the heat of an East African summer is challenging, but the experience promises to be enjoyable." Soman nodded to the, "growing acknowledgement of running as an endurance sport in India. With one of the fastest-growing running populations globally, India is reaping the profound benefits of endurance running." Soman compared those benefits as, "parallel to yoga, positively impacting mental and physical well-being."

The schedule

The run commences at 6 am from a place called ‘The Green' in Dar Es Salaam. There are at least 15 runners from India. The formidable Africans, so much a feature of Mumbai's running scene when they set the city on fire annually in the Mumbai marathon run in the third week of January - will be on the route too. The cultural quotient will be part of the great running theatre too. At every third water station, ‘ngoma drummers' will encourage participants en route Bagamoyo, proving that not just the heat but the beat is on too. Upon reaching Bagamoyo, runners will receive a traditional Tanzanian welcome. The second day will see the return journey to Dar Es Salaam, culminating in a grand reception at ‘The Green' with an enthusiastic crowd, aerial fireworks, musical performances, and of course, speechless

The strategy

Sonia Kulkarni from Mumbai, who will also be running said, "My training for this event was a combination of four days running in a week, alternated with three days of strength training. Ultra running is an endurance sport, so you need to build physical stamina but mental strength is important too." Of running strategy and going the formidable distance Kulkarni said, "One would normally run about 60 km over 12 hours per day, for two days with approximately three food breaks a day. Run at easy to medium pace to retain freshness and energy right through. Pre- and post-run stretches help the recovery process. Most importantly, it is running with like-minded people that helps one keep up the spirit."

Kulkarni said the temperature will be 30°C, with no strict cut-off times but there are plans to complete the distance within 10 to 12 hours a day. Ankita Konwar, Soman's wife, will also be running. There are several men and women runners from Mumbai and from elsewhere in the country. Some are veteran runners. Two runners are water polo players and a woman runner has done a Half Iron Man and the Everest Base Camp trek. In a world currently riven with strife, these real troopers are going to put a welcome best foot forward with fervour, for fun and in friendship.

2 days
Time to complete the Friendship Run