Want to achieve your fitness goals? Join this running club in Navi Mumbai

A Navi Mumbai-based duo’s new running club is setting the pace for enthusiasts looking to kickstart their running journey this year

Two finance graduates sit down in a café to brainstorm over a cup of coffee. In any other city, this would mean the birth of yet another start-up. In Navi Mumbai, however, Vihan Prabhu and Tegh Singh met to address a pressing question — just how does one get a Mumbaikar off their couch and running on a slow weekend? The Navi Mumbai Run Club, the duo’s new weekend running club seems to have found the answer; the duo has already helped nearly 40 Mumbaikars get on track with their goals.

Members participate in warm-ups and cool-downs before and after the early morning runs

“I started running in 2018 to shed a few extra kilos. While I was noticeably fitter in the world’s eyes within months, something else started changing inside me. I was mentally happier and more at peace with myself,” recalls 22-year-old Singh. Tegh would reach out to fellow Navi Mumbaikar Prabhu, who was pursuing a degree in finance in Bengaluru at the time, to encourage him to try this wonder drug. “I started running and was instantly hooked on it. After years of planning and co-ordination, we decided to introduce the city to the experience late last November,” Prabhu reveals.

Tegh Singh and Vihan Prabhu

While Singh is familiar with life in the fast lane, having studied equity markets in the buzzing halls of the Bombay Stock Exchange, the running sessions are anything but rushed. After a short warm-up and pep talk, participants are free to walk, jog, or run along the 5km running circuit on Palm Beach Road, with the option to take a roundabout at any point to return to the meeting point. In view of runners’ safety in the city, we learn that the group is joined by expert runners every weekend who guide runners in safety and discipline along the 45-minute run on the demarcated running track.

Also Read: Run, Mumbai, run

A participant warms up before a run

“They come for the run, but stay for the fun that begins after it,” says Singh, referring to the post-run bonding sessions that include a nostalgic walk, or should we say run, down memory lane with games like Dog and the Bone and Simon Says. “With the run, we’re holding each other accountable for our fitness goals. The games cement this sense of community in the participants. A few young members even brought their parents along last weekend to help them socialise,” Singh reveals.

Runners play a game as part of the post-run activity session 

For Prabhu, their hometown is an equal contributor to this experience. “Navi Mumbai has a certain charm to it. The wide roads with marked running tracks lined by trees, and a breathtaking view of the sunrise every morning might be the reason we have groups drive their way to our sessions from as far as Andheri,” he says.

In the new year, the club is exploring newer avenues. A year-end activity last weekend saw the group head to the Newali trail in Panvel. “Monotony can push people to leave their goals mid-way. We asked the community how we can shake things up and a few participants who were itching for a more off-road cross-terrain challenge suggested a trail,” Prabhu reveals. Something tells us the runners from Andheri, for whom driving out of their neighbourhood is a cross-terrain challenge in itself, weren’t a part of it.

On Every Sunday; 7 am
MEETING POINT Third Wave Coffee, Sector 46/A, Nerul, Navi Mumbai. 
LOG ON TO @navimumbairunclub (to register)  

Beginner’s checklist

>> Invest in running shoes and choose bright and breathable clothing to stay safe and comfortable.
>> Start with small, achievable goals, like running for 5 minutes without stopping or completing a 2km run.
>> Alternate running with walking to build stamina. Start by running for 30 seconds and walking for one minute.
>> Keep your posture upright, land on the middle of your foot, and swing your arms naturally.
>> Warm up and cool down with dynamic stretches or a brisk walk.
>> Rest days are essential. Your body builds strength during recovery.
Inputs by Tegh Singh

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