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Apr 28, 2024

Mumbai Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.0

Organization 3.0

Spectators 4.2

Number of comments: 26 [displaying comments 11 to 21]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 > ]

SANDHYA BHALE from India[Indore,M.P.] (11/13/2008) "Unforgettable, enjoyable, enthusiastic" (about: 2008) 3 previous marathons \| 3 Mumbai Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I have been participating in the Mumbai Marathon since 2006 and it's unforgettable. It offers me the chance actually to help some needy people. I never got a chance in my past years of life to show my capacity, ability and energy, though I was given athletic ability. Being a teacher, I want to set an example to all that if you want to do something different, then there are various fields, and at any age, a person can get that chance. I enjoy the Mumbai Marathon every year, and I will enjoy it in the future as well. Overall the event is organized in a systematic way, but there were some problems in 2008: 1) The course was opened to traffic at 8:30 a.m., which created a huge problem for all participants. 2) No information was given to the participants, so many of them could not complete it. Positives: 1) It's good that they allow us to complete the registrations well in advance so that the we can practice and manage everything properly. Thank you very much for providing a place for comments.
a. s. from Bangalore, India (3/29/2008) "Crowds lift you up. End organization drags you dow" (about: 2008) 3 previous marathons \| 2 Mumbai Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 Easily the best marathon in India, but that is simply because others are pathetic. Positives (compared to other Indian marathons): 1. Date decided well in advance and adhered to. 2. Reasonably efficient registration process. 3. Good traffic control and great crowd involvement (at least till about 3.5 hours). 4. Availability of water during the course (again at least till 3.5 hours). Negatives: 1. Not at all friendly to slow runners (those who finish later than 4 hours). Late start means that they have to battle the hot sun, humidity, Mumbai traffic and absence of water points at a time when they need it the most - the last 10KM. 2.Poor post-race organization. No one bothers about runners who trickle in after 4 hours; they have to work their way across dusty, hot ground with counters spread half a KM apart, and stand in long queues to return chips and collect certificates/medals, etc. Incidentally I became aware that medals are issued only because the guy in front of me asked for one. For some reason, the organizers seemed happy to save on medals. 3. Finally I am not sure if the prize money advertised actually reached all of the winners. It is more than 2 months later now and the organizers are still in the process of ratifying the results. Of course they do not reply to emails or take calls.
R. K. from Fairfax, USA & Kochi, India (1/24/2008) "Decent organization, great course, awesome fans!" (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Mumbai Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was the first time I ran a marathon in India. Although I grew up in the country, I had never been in Mumbai except for a couple of quick visits. I had read mixed reviews about this marathon, most of the negatives pointing towards the organization and logistics, especially post-race. As far as my experience goes, however, post-finish was not that bad. The chip return and timing certificate dispatch were done quickly. I also received the food packet without much trouble - maybe because I was a relatively "early" finisher (3:36). However, I think the organization should be blasted for its lack of focus on the runners and its overblown attention to appease the media. The media of course revolves around the celebrities (Bollywood in particular). The full marathon start time is the first hurdle - while the half starts at 6:40 a.m., the full starts one hour later - apparently so there is enough light for the TV cameras to cover the celebrities flagging off the event. In the Mumbai heat, this means a scorching finish for most runners unless you are an elite. Also, if only they used 10% of the money they spend on the prize money and elite runners' red carpet, we could all get decent energy drinks and may be some electrolyte replenishing solids. One other gripe I have is about the lack of co-ordination between the volunteers. After the finish, I had to go on a treasure-hunt to find my medal. And it was practically thrown at me by a volunteer who had no idea or concern about its value. Having said that, I have to salute the organizers and Mumbaikars (residents of Mumbai) for getting so many cops, volunteers and fans out for this event, controlling traffic exceptionally well (for a city like Mumbai, that's such a monumental task), providing water, ice, etc. all over the course (almost every kilometer) and giving the much-needed cheerful support at some key points during the race (although they were quiet at most other times). I gave low-fives to a number of kids along the race, many of them obviously extremely poor, still compassionate to a fellow human being who shows signs of pain and suffering. That symbolizes the true spirit of India in general and Mumbai in particular. Overall, I am happy that I ran this race and finished it strong.
Rahul Mehta from Mumbai (1/21/2008) "Mumbai Marathon Rocks!" (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons \| 4-5 Mumbai Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Hi guys! Thank you for sparing your time to read this! I'm living in the South Bombay area and have been a runner for a long time. I am lucky to be living near the race course where I run 365 days (7 KM average per day). I also run on the Marine Drive stretch on Sundays, so I am familiar with the route. About the Stan Chart Marathon: it was the 5th year this time and I must say that we have come a long way from the 1st time the city held it in 2004! I have never participated in an international run; however I can say that Mumbai rocks. The route is good and flat, and the weather at this time of the year is just good. Above everything - the spectators are awesome!!! We do have major teething problems post-race, i.e., in chip return and timing certificate. But I am at a loss as to who to blame it on! The management is great, post-run refreshments were great, but the flaw lies with the software at times, where results can't be transmitted from sensors to computers on time. I am sure Procam will make a note of this and ensure speedy timing certificates next year. OVERALL EXPERIENCE: GREAT FUN!
Harish Tewari from Nainital, India (12/11/2007) "It was a great experience." (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mumbai Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Running this marathon for the first time was an unforgettable moment. And off course, winning the Corporate Challenge in the first attempt was too great to express in words. I feel proud that India is hosting such a mega event. Hats off to the organizers. Keep it up, MUMBAI....
M. D. from Finland (1/28/2007) "Nice race not-so-great organization" (about: 2007) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Mumbai Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 Drawbacks: -Didn't receive acceptance letter/package -People didn't give accurate answers to questions and referred us to read the event "manual" or website, which did not have all the information -Returning of the timing chip, BIG minus (more than two hours in the queue) -Medical aid point didn't have athletic tape or plasters -Sports drink offered only once (?), and in the same bottle as water -No food stops (or maybe just didn't notice them) -Marathon started later than half marathon Positive: -Event itself -Spectators -Other runners
R. J. from Georgia, USA (1/25/2007) "A HOT, memorable race; room to improve" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mumbai Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 I had read and heard comments that the race was poorly organized in previous years and while there were some problems, the race went off pretty well. The bad: There was contradictory information on the website, I never got the info packet and mandatory "acceptance letter" by mail which had been promised. It turned out I didn't need the letter to get my bib after all. The expo was bare-bones, and there was no T-shirt! That's a first, but it explains the cheap ($25) registration fee for this marathon. The start area was confusing and the (understandable) tight security was a problem, as the soldiers didn't seem to understand that we people in running shorts with race bibs actually were supposed to be there. I finally made my way through some barricades to the start corral, although hundreds of half-marathon runners were still wandering around the area in confusion 20 minutes after their race had started. The marathon started at 7:40, far too late for this climate as slower runners finished under a blazing hot sun, and with high humidity, no wind and little shade, the last 10K were just brutally hot. There is absolutely no excuse for the late start, especially since the half marathon started at 7:00. Water was plentiful but sports drink was in the same bottles as the water and colorless, so it was hard to tell what we were being handed, and the volunteers didn't always tell us correctly. Besides, the sports drink was awful; it was like plain sugar water. I couldn't stand it and instead relied on Shot Bloks and Sport Beans. Finish line was kind of disorganized, I had to hunt down my medal, and finish line food was... a box of crackers! Finally, the timing chip return line was terrible. People were waiting over an hour to get their deposits back. Fortunately I did not get a chip, for that very reason. Did I mention the heat? The good: This was a great running tour of a fascinating, vibrant city, even the part where I almost got run over by an ox! Crowd support was tremendous, the Mumbaikars (residents of Mumbai) are determined to make it a major international event. Traffic control was fine, even for stragglers; volunteers were numerous and helpful; and water and (foul-tasting) sportsdrink were plentiful. Ice cubes at 30KM, which I dumped in my hat, were a big help in the heat (just don't eat them, as I'm told they are not safe). It's a mostly flat course, with just one small hill that you pass twice, and except for the heat, it would be described as fast. Despite the drawbacks I would highly recommend this race to anyone who wants to experience some adventure in a marathon.
Rahul Bhat from India (Mumbai-Thane) (1/21/2007) "Poor Organization after the Race" (about: 2007) 3 previous marathons \| 3 Mumbai Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 5 This is regarding the return of the chip after the race. After running the race for more than 2 and half hours, we were made to stand for another 2 hours in the queue to return the chip. Only when I reached the counter did someone come up with the idea of getting a courier to handle these certificates and 1000Rs. This should have been sorted out well before the race. I do not understand how do you expect 4 counters to attend to around 4,000-5,000 people having the chip. And no wonder this led to frustration amongst people leading to even more annoying arguments with the event crew. Moreover, some people didn't get their timing certificates despite running the full 21 KM with the chip, and this after waiting for 2 hours. Please do take care of this matter for the next marathon.
Helmut Schadt from Renningen, Germany (11/11/2006) "Fantastic experience" (about: 2005) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mumbai Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 Actually I was on a marathon - photographing, taking a backpacking tour in Asia from November 22, 2004 till April 18, 2005, running the Bangkok Marathon on November 28, and one week later the Singapore Marathon. After the Mumbai Marathon I still did run in Kathmandu, but due to lack of training, I only did the half marathon. Considering the sheer unbelievable enthusiasm of the many spectators, the Mumbai Marathon was the most memorable and fascinating race I ever did run. Against this, all the failings concerning handling left baggage and finding the start line are easily forgotten. It was the exact date of my 67th birthday and it seemed to me that most spectators hardly could believe that it's possible to run the full marathon at this age. So frenetic was the applause when I passed! I was interviewed during the run (obviously live on TV), and some kilometers before the end of the race, I was even offered flowers and birthday congratulations by a lady, who must have seen me on TV before and therefore knew that it was my birthday. Also after the race, while still in Mumbai, I got birthday congratulations of people who recognized me by my white beard. :-). Once I'm over 70, I intend to do a similar trip again, and if possible, I will also take part in the Mumbai Marathon once more.
N. K. from Virginia, USA (5/3/2006) "Amazing Crowds!!!!" (about: 2005) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Mumbai Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I ran the half marathon in 2005 - the first one for me - and was surprised to see the crowds. I've never seen such supportive crowds anywhere else!!!

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