Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation marathon set for December 10

This year, the marathon will begin 30 minutes earlier than usual

It is set your speedometer time, as the country's marathon season has taken off big time. The Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation Marathon (VVMM) will be run on December 10, 2023, making it the 11th edition of the annual event. The overall prize money is set at Rs 54 lakh and over 16,000 runners are expected to participate on race day. The distances are 5 km and 11 km, along with the half marathon (21 km) and showpiece full marathon of 42 km.

Some logistics

Anilkumar Pawar, Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) commissioner announced the race at a press conference held at the Press Club, Azad Maidan (SoBo) on Tuesday afternoon. Pawar said, "The full marathon winner gets R3 lakh as prize money and the half marathon winner goes back with R2 lakh." Pawar claimed that elite athletes and prize money notwithstanding, it is the amateurs that are the beating heart of the event. "We have not increased the registration fee for the amateurs, which stays at R750 for the full 42 km, half (21 km) and 11 km events."

Municipal Commissioner Anilkumar Pawar speaks at the conference on Tuesday. Pic/Atul Kamble

The Vasai runners have always proclaimed that the route is scenic and this time, said the commissioner, "there has been a concerted effort to increase the greenery and aesthetics of the route, with more tree plantation etc." There has also been a slight change in the 5 km and 11 km route, to take advantage of the wider roads as well as de-congest the route. The start timings have been pushed ahead to 5.30 am for the 42-km event and 6 am for the 21-km race, which is 30 minutes earlier than the usual start time.

Medical aspects

The medical component will be looked after by medical partner IASIS Hospital, led by Dr Mahabali Singh. Dr Singh said at the conference, "I have observed in previous editions that the most common problems afflicting runners are dehydration and muscle spasms. We will have a number of stations en route and I am in discussion with the medical teams. When we see runners who are completely exhausted, we may advise them to halt running. While I do respect the spirit of finishing a marathon, it should not come at the cost of your health."

There will be a Medical Base Camp at the New Viva College, which will have an ICU setup provided by IASIS Hospital, staffed by cardiologists and doctors from the hospital as well as from the medical associations of Virar, Nalla Sopara and Vasai. Seven cardiac ambulances will be stationed along the route, along with regular ambulances at each of the 14 medical stations on the route. There will also be 40 doctors patrolling the route on motorbikes to ensure quick response time.

Both, the doctor and the municipal commissioner, spoke of the lesser air pollution in the Vasai area, because of the added greenery en route for runners. Dr Singh advised runners, not just for this event, to start their training runs early to combat the heavy air pollution, which has become a cause for concern in the city.

The big names

Asian Games multiple medallist and World Athletics Championships finalist Parul Chaudhary will be the event ambassador. The 28-year-old athlete from Ikaluta village, near Meerut, will be in Vasai on Saturday, December 9, a day before the event. Rudranksh Patil from Thane will also be the face of the event. Patil was part of the Asian Games gold medal-winning team in the 10m Air Rifle event. The 19-year-old has qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

The full marathon will feature two-time defending champion and course record holder Mohit Rathore of UP, besides Aurangabad's Dhanwant Prahlad, with a Personal Best (PB) of 2.20.38; Tirtha Pun from the Gorkha Regiment, Indian Army, with a PB of 2.22, Rajasthan's Hemant Singh, with a PB of 2.22.24 and Tribhuwan from the Kumaun Regiment, Ranikhet, who has a PB of 2.26.

The civic corporation is also inviting local bands and dance groups to perform at the ‘Cheer Zones' which will be set up along the marathon route. The anchor at the press conference claimed that Vasai-Virar is now an extended part of the city which is "booming", with rapid infra development and sports facilities coming up in the area. The marathon is part of both: India's running boom and Vasai-Virar's overall boom. Registration can be done through the event website www.vvmm.in. Registrations will close on November 20.

Rs 3 lakh
Amount to be awarded as prize money for full marathon