We live in an age where the entire world can fit in the palm of our hand in the shape of illuminated screens, and yet we are losing the connection with our own bodies and minds. Health is being sacrificed for convenience. We have forgotten how to walk, how to enjoy the exhaustion in our muscles after exercise, and the joy of stretching our bodies as far as they can go.
Under these circumstances, there’s nothing more inspirational than an entire city making a commitment towards living healthy and getting fitter. What’s more remarkable is when this awakening starts with a single individual. “In Oct 2011 I read in the Times of India that Fauja Singh had completed the Toronto Marathon in 8:11 at the age of 100. If Fauja could run a marathon at 100, then at 56, why couldn’t I?” thought Dr Arun Agrawal, the President of the Academy of Indore Marathoners who was instrumental in organizing the first edition of the Indore marathon.
As his personal running group in Indore expanded and they participated in the SCMM 42K in 2012, Dr Agrawal realized that running had the potential to bring together an entire community to stand for a bigger message. As a doctor, he was becoming acutely aware of the growing incidence of conditions like hypertension and diabetes in the country and an alarming lack of fitness among the youngsters. Thus was born the mission of the Jio Indore Marathon- ‘CLEAN INDORE, GREEN INDORE, HEALTHY INDORE’.
A city-wide campaign, and a lively online campaign was launched to announce the arrival of the first edition of Jio Indore Marathon, and to inspire folks to sign up. From ‘tread-a-thons’ at the college level, to numerous press mentions, to inspirational social media messaging – the mission was to spread the word of the marathon far and wide.
The organizing team understood the importance of proper ‘pre-post-during’ race hydration as being a critical factor in driving performance. “It is extremely important for marathon preparation to have proper nutrition before the race, during, and after the race,” says Dr Agrawal. As the country’s only homegrown ‘start to finish’ sports nutrition system, RRUNN was a natural fit for the event as the hydration support, and Unived Sports was extremely happy to come on board as the official hydration partner.
On the 22nd of February, the first edition of the Jio Indore Marathon saw unprecedented participation, as thousands of Indorians showed up to renew their commitment to fitness. Fueled by RRUNN, runners – national and international- charged towards the finish line in the 5K, 10K, and 21K categories. The joy and the competitive camaraderie was palpable in the air. Encouraged by the response to the first edition, the team now plans to include a 42K category in the second edition.
At Unived Sports, we are happy to have supported the start of the running revolution in Indore, and we hope that other Indian cities are equally inspired. It was a pleasure hydrating you, Indore, and we hope we can do it again!
