From couch to 42 km: How Mumbai became a running city

MUMBAI: When the Mumbai Marathon was flagged off for the first time in 2004, only around 700 runners participated in the full marathon. On Sunday, that number alone will swell to nearly 14,000, a striking measure of how far the event, and the city’s relationship with running, has travelled.From a niche endurance challenge, the Tata Mumbai Marathon has grown into a defining feature of Mumbai’s sporting calendar, helping seed a running culture. Scroll through Instagram and the shift is unmistakable. The algorithm is flooded with running, athletes loading up on carbs, reels on hydration strategies and recovery hacks. The numbers underline the transformation. Overall participation has risen by 236% since inception, while women’s participation has surged by 222%, a clear sign that distance running has shed much of its earlier exclusivity. This Sunday, more than 65,000 runners will take part across categories, making it the largest mass-participation sporting event in the country.What is equally striking is the scale of its pull: over 17,000 runners will travel in from outside Mumbai, with participants from 46 countries turning the race into a truly global meeting point.Yet, Mumbai remains one of the more demanding marathon courses in the world. It is not flat, the humidity is relentless, and the climbs, most famously the long grind up Peddar Road, test even seasoned marathoners. This year, the challenge intensifies further with the inclusion of the Coastal Road, adding two more inclines to an already punishing route.And yet, runners keep coming back, elites and everyday athletes alike. City-based runner Candy Menezes says it is a race that automatically earns a place on every runner’s calendar. “More than anything, it becomes a social event. You’re pushing yourself, but also your friends. Seeing so many people you know on the same course is an amazing feeling,” she adds.The rise in women runners has been one of the marathon’s most visible shifts. What began with a modest presence has evolved into packed start lines and women-led pacing groups.And perhaps that is the marathon’s most unique achievement. For a few hours, the city belongs not to traffic, but to runners, and Mumbai wouldn’t have it any other way.