Comrades facilitation evening

At around 6 pm, The Science Park in PCMC started to witness a barrage of visitors. The stage was set for the felicitation of our Comrades Heroes – CP, KP and VP. To compel them to answer straight from the heart, Avinash Mane and “****” anchored the event and posed probing questions to the guests.

We began with a keynote welcome address followed by a brief video on the Concept of Comrades. The event was attend by more than 100 runners across PCMC – novices, stalwarts and champions like wise.

The auditorium at Science Park was an apt venue for this – Compact stage with projector, comfortable seating for the audience and a learning ambience.

Venugopal shared his experiences on why he did Comrades and blood, sweat and tears that went into it. He stressed the importance on knowing one’s own body, the biomechanics and the science behind running. He articulated his methodical approach to training, diet and race day preparation. He was the epitome of the “Thought” Factor

Bhau,as Kisan Patil, is affectionately called  gave us another dimension. He did not have any thought or strategy nor did not follow any scientific approach. His rural upbringing bestowed him with a naturally strong body and his acquired passion for running got him home easily. He did not quite understand the hype surrounding Comrades. He represented the “flair” aspect.

CP had a training regimen under the guidance of Avinash – bombard yourself with mileage and elevation. Endurance was not a problem for him since he was an ultra-cyclist – an SR (Super Randonneur) who had cycled to Kanyakumari as well. He did make changes to his diet and his running stride to bring about the results. He demonstrated the virtue of “patience”.

Inspiration was in the air and so was the performance of the rising stars of PCMC runners – ordinary men and women who defied the stereotype notions and rose to compete with themselves. The “pillars of support” – self-motivated individuals who sustain the momentum of PCMC runners were also honoured.

Dinnertime offered an opportunity to have informal discussions with the Comrades and fellow runners. An informal Vote of Thanks was proposed to the Event organisers for putting together this fantastic knowledge share spectacle.

To sum it up – the success of the event was enhanced by vibrance and active participation of the fellow runners