Part of Run organising team to a runner

For over ten years, I am part of the organizing team of Seva Bharathi’s Run for a Girl Child, during these days I actively manage the event, coordinating with department heads, sorting out last-minute hiccups, and cheering for thousands of runners. Whenever my friends and other participants asked me, “When are you running?” my standard answer was always: “I make people run; I don’t run😁.”

That changed this year. My good friend and other volunteer, Vishal Agrawal garu, gave me a nudge: “Why don’t we run in Hyderabad Marathon and see how it feels from the other side?” Instead of playing it safe with a 5K, we registered for the 10K. We wanted to truly experience the bib distribution event and the race.

Mind Says Yes, Body Says No

Two weeks before the race, my body faced challenges. A viral infection left me with body aches, drained energy, and low stamina. To add to the stress, an unexpected family event popped up on the same morning. I negotiated a quick deal with my wife, Bhavana, promising I would join the family gathering right after the run. Still, self-doubt was creeping in. I honestly thought my next blog post would be about failure rather than success.

The turning point came at the bib distribution expo. Around me, runners were buying specialized energy gels and high-end supplements. For a second, I wondered if I needed them too. Then I took a step back and remembered: Lord Hanuman had made me walk 40 kilometers barefoot during a padayatra. If I could do 40 kilometers on bare feet with pure faith and grit, I could surely do 10 kilometers with running shoes on. I walked away from the counters. No gels and other energy drinks needed.

Seeing the Run from the Inside

The race day was pleasant and cool weather. Reaching the venue, my mind was running on two parallel tracks: one as an organizer, one as a first-time runner. Looking at the race as a participant opened my eyes to things I usually only measured in minutes and logistics:

• The Josh on the Route: The live beats of dappu drummers and traditional Gussadi dancers brought raw energy straight onto the tarmac.
• Hydration as Hospitality: As an organizer, I used to see aid stations as logistical checkpoints. As a runner, I saw the warmth of the volunteers. For them, every runner was an athithi. They served us water and electrolytes with the spirit of Atithi Devo Bhava.
• School Bands: The school children singing and playing musical instruments along the road turned a sweaty run into a community celebration.

Having managed the route for our Run for a Girl Child over the last two years, I knew these setups took hours of sweat to coordinate. But on the road, they were the invisible fuel keeping our feet moving.

Hitting the Flyover at KM 7

Hyderabad’s roads are famous for their rolling hills and flyovers. Around the 6 to 7-kilometer mark, the pleasant start caught up with reality. My viral weakness flared up, and my legs began to protest.

What saved the morning was good company. Running with Vishal and his friend Jay kept my mind off the fatigue. Jay made sure we paused for quick stretches so our muscles wouldn’t lock up, while our ongoing conversations kept the mood light. Before I knew it, the discomfort began to fade into the background.

Crossing the Mat

With the finish line approaching, I actually increased my pace for the last two kilometers, partly from pure excitement, and partly because I knew Bhavana and the family were waiting!

Crossing that timing mat was an incredible feeling. The clock showed 1 hour and 53 minutes. What started as an experiment filled with self-doubt ended up becoming a personal milestone.

Every marathon has its own character and style. But crossing this finish line proved one simple thing to me: stepping out from behind the organizer’s desk and onto the road is the only real way to understand the race, and yourself.