This story is from January 19, 2009

When Gods too joined in the run!

Jan 19, 2009, 00:25 IST

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The theme was Unity, the spirit was Fighting...This is what fuelled Mumbaiites to come onto the roads yesterday morning to participate in or be part of the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon that wended its way through the city.
The cast included athletes - naturally, runners of all ages, fitness freaks, Mumbaiities out to have a good time, Mumbaiites out to show their solidarity with a cause that has the city on the run, Mumbaiites providing a show for other Mumbaities on this Sunday morning when but for the Marathon everything else was at a standstill in South Mumbai.
It was like one long, unending ramp for the greatest sports fashion show on earth. Trendy tracksuits, shorts and sporty tees
ruled, the foreign athletes dressed more scantily (or skimpily, if you please) because for them the heat was unbearable, while some chose to break away from the conventional and produced their own personal style. The tri-colour stood out with pride. Bollywood hunk John Abraham had it draped across his massive Dostana shoulders while hundreds of others painted their faces and chests in saffron, white and green.

The theme of unity seemed to run throughout with a bald man sporting a tattoo on his head with the symbols of Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. Head accessories also seemed to be the order of the day with everything from rabbit ears to devil horns and big Mexican hats doing the rounds. One group even donned butterfly wings to show the change that the city needs whereas another put on a vine of green leaves symbolising the need to save our planet.

Unusual costumes were the highlight of the dream run. One portly man tried desperately to look like Aamir Khan in Ghajini, while another resembled like Sachin Tendulkar on a home run. The Indian look was the most popular with traditional outfits from Rajasthan, Kashmir and Kutch most appealing. Our local Koli fisherwomen didn��t forget their signature nose ring and sari. Mythological characters from the Ramayana and Mahabharata were a popular element with Ram, Sita and Hanuman being well represented. Narendra Modi jostled for space with that great Maratha warrior Shivaji, while Santa Claus ran his own race.
In the wheelchair round, young children were dressed up like their idols with one kid looking like Mother Teresa. Terrorism still seems to be on Mumbaikar��s mind and one of the costumes that really stood out was a little boy dressed up as a jawan complete with a toy AK-47 in his hand in salute of those who laid down their lives for the country on 26/11... while others came dressed as terrorists, some wearing t-shirts expressing their anger against Pakistan and one person even carried a effigy of terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab.

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