I had registered at least three Marathons and Half Marathons long before the closing date, which I could not take part due to commitments. This time, became wiser registered Sabarmati Marathon, just few days before the closing day. After arriving Ahemedabad city on 24 Dec early morning, went to the hospital to meet my friend. My friend told me that from that hospital 13 runners are participating in the Marathon. I went to meet them; it was a very cordial meeting, all of them are participating in half marathon. I went to Expo Sabaramati Marathon, at the Sabarmati Riverfront Grounds, behind Vallabh Sadan along with few of them. The area was very nicely arranged at the back drop of Sabarmati River.

On 25 Dec I got up exactly at 0329hrs, just 1 minute before the alarm which I had put in my mobile. My friends from the hospital arrived exactly at 0445 hrs at my place of staying as was discussed before. Everybody had put on warm clothing. It was a very chilly early in the morning, they were little surprised to see me on running gear with shorts and T-shirts with fixed bib. First time ever I had put on a bib with tag veteran written on it. Oh!!! Now I am a veteran but not a veteran runner, as I started running seriously just one year before. After arriving at the spot where expo and holding areas were located, friends went for warm up at half marathon holding area. At the full marathon holding area I met Piyush Shah first time, though I had known about him from FB. First Hyderabad Marathon of this year, which we both ran but came to know from facebook only about each other’s participation after the race. Now a days, he is running everyday 25km almost for last 80 days and aimed to complete 100 days soon. A devoted runner, he gets up every day at an unbelievable time of 0130 hrs for his 25 km run. I don’t have any word to praise the spirit of the man. Along with him I also met another young runner Tapan Parmar.

Chief Minister of Gujurat Mr Narendra Modi flagged of the race, with a delay of almost fifteen minutes from the schedule start of 0600hrs. All enthusiastic runners along elite runners from Kenya and Ethiopia disappeared quickly. I also saw Piyush and Tapan are running in fast pace and going ahead of me. I maintained my usual pace of running, kilometer after kilometer. Timing result shows 10.3 km in 53 minutes and 55 seconds and 15 km in 1 hr 15 minutes and 55 seconds, which means I gained further pace after 10 km mark. Before 15 km mat, which is situated in a roundabout, I could see on the other side of road Piyush and Tapan are speeding fast. The weather was fantastic. Plenty of support from volunteers, there was no dearth of energy drinks, drinking water and canned drinks.

I was soon going to approach 21 km mark, tried to gain further pace, but suddenly experienced severe pain in upper part of right foot. I never experienced this kind of pain in my training run. Though for last two months I was experiencing left hip pain upon increasing pace beyond 10 km, which was subsiding slowly. The reappearance of that pain, I feared most. The present pain is in different location and more severe than previous one. Now I remembered the health tips for runners “you must listen to your body”. Probably being a professional in medicine, it is my duty to stop myself. Suddenly fear off first DNF struck into my mind, which was not acceptable to me. I stopped for a while, elevated my leg on the road divider, loosen my shoeless and cared for my foot. Retied my shoeless again started running and crossed the 21 km mark after going the last roundabout. Now my 21 km timing result shows 1hr 50 minutes and 47 seconds, which means I have achieved PB in half marathon also (being a full marathon participant in this race it cannot be official PB), which was previously 1hr 52 mins and 50 seconds in thane HM. The pain did not appear again, but my pace has decreased substantially after wards, may be due to fatigue and fear of reappearance of pain, crossed 28 km mat at 2 hrs 30 minutes and 51 seconds.

Gradually the road was opened to the traffic. Though most of the drivers were careful about the runners at the intersection, few of them are unruly. One biker was driving in the middle of the road looking at the other way, instead of looking at me. He was about to bang upon me, pushed him other way and shouted the police man standing nearby to look after him. About 10 km left requested volunteers standing on the way for analgesic spray. A young girl ran to other side of the road to fetch it. Meanwhile, I continued running, looked behind to see the same girl speeding towards me with a spray in her hand. I stopped for a while, took the spray from her. After using it I thanked her profusely for smart and prompt action, as I am used to seeing lethargic medics in few running events.

After some analgesic spray moved little faster pace. On the way I saw Tapan Parmar, he was little fatigued, Piyush has gone ahead of him. At around 34-35 km, I could see the Piyush in other side of road; he was there after crossing a roundabout at 37.8 km mat, he waved me and sped away. After a kilometer and so, I could see super veteran runner Bhasker Desai, also in the other side of the road, after waving each other and exchange of good wishes, he also sped away. I crossed 37.8 km mat at the timing of 3 hrs 37 minutes and 24 seconds. Piyush and Bhasker completed their race in 3:50:2 and 3:54:26 coming 3^rd and 1^st in Veteran and Super veteran category respectively.  I congratulate both of them from bottom of my heart. Piyush by his sheer determination wiped almost 1 hr of his best timing at Hyderabad, salute the spirit of man. I completed the run in 4 hrs 5 mins and 55 seconds and become distant 4^th among the veteran (though first time) runners, also my PB improving previous best at Hyderabad by 10 minutes. I am happy to survive a close DNF.