The 42km Singapore Marathon…
Somnath Pawara had spent a sleepless night just a day before his run at the Singapore Marathon. Clutching to his Bib No. B33437 tightly throughout the night, thoughts and flashes came to his mind about his early morning practices, his passion for running barefoot, and more importantly, the countless amount of YouTube videos that he had seen about runners, especially Kenyans, and South Africans, who always had the habit of winning major events. Shifting positions in the bed, he could see the silhouettes of his friends sleeping peacefully.
He was supposed to get up a good one hour before them, since he was the only member to run the 21km Singapore Marathon. He closed his eyes, folded his hands, and murmured a small prayer for a good run and the well-being of his friends. He opened the hotel room, and was surprised and shocked to see Navin Sir (as fondly called by everyone), dressed up in his typical whites, handing him a banana and some milk! He never expected Navin Sir to rise so early for the race, and wish him luck! Some words of encouragement and pep talks, they rode in the elevator together and started the journey towards the starting point of the marathon. Navin Sir had his arms over Somnath, asking him to give his best and not worry about the results. He entered the pit, all by himself, and right from that time, he knew he was on his own and it was a proud moment for him! Not only was he representing his village, his district, his college, but he was representing those thousands of tribal runners, trying to prove their mark.
The marathon had commenced a few minutes ago, but Somnath was not at all feeling tired or fatigued. Singapore was lighted in different shades of the dawn, as the tourist attractions, and tall buildings darted past him. His main concentration was the race, and nothing else but the race. He had made up a mind of making everyone proud and was determined to win, come what may! Somnath again started increasing his pace, running faster and just letting the early morning breeze touch his face. Trickles of sweat had started forming over his face, as the sun rose to turn the twilight into the day.
He heard a slight clamour behind and suddenly realized few runners running at a terrific pace, and ran past him, showing no signs of exhaustion. Loo and behold, they were Kenyans, participating in the 21km Singapore Marathon, and just the sight of them running mesmerized Somnath. Like a bee attracted towards nectar, he started running after them madly. He wanted to catch up with them, and have a mental satisfaction of having to overtake them once, but alas – they were too fast-paced for him. Before he realized, they disappeared around the next bend, and he was all alone, running by himself.
Somnath never wasted time taking breaks or drinking water whilst running, and for a first time in several years, he was suddenly feeling thirsty and dehydrated. He looked at his digital watch and was wondering where had the finishing line disappeared. Why had the crowd suddenly thinned out and where was Navin Sir, as promised to be waiting and cheering for him at the finish line! What he hadn’t realized was that in the spur of the moment that he tried to overtake the Kenyans, he had erroneously crossed in the 42km marathon, instead of his stipulated 21km half-marathon.
A miscalculated error had made Somnath change lanes, and enter the 42km race, that too without any practice or for that matter, any kind of preparations! It was now a test of his stamina and endurance. The clock was ticking slowly, and suddenly everything around him turned dark. He had crossed his exhaustion mark, and his blood pressure decreased. The endless road looked like a mountain to him, and by no means did he have the strength to lift his leg! He felt nauseous and before he could even realize, fainted in the middle of the road.
It took him some time to realize that something was amiss when his eyes opened in the ambulance. His hands were numb with intravenous needle pumping saline in his body. He felt lost and was not used to listening to foreign language and touches of unknown people, checking out his vital body signs. He had no answers to their innumerable questions and a quick glimpse at the digital watch cautioned him that it was over 45 minutes that he had lost and had no idea or recalled anything. Precious 45 minutes – he told himself! Using sign language and a nod of the head, he requested for the needle to be removed and get him up on his feet. The paramedics were initially sceptical but were quite amazed at his determination and will. They slowly let him rise from the makeshift bed and caught him for a few seconds. The pain was immense and his body was shaking, but Somnath mustered up the courage, and a quick thumbs-up sign towards the paramedics that he was doing great!
Somnath was now a man on a mission – complete the run! His only aim was to meet his friends, meet Navin Sir and rest. His body ached with pain, his legs had already given up on him, and he was now praying vigorously. Thoughts of failure started coming across in his mind, but he just brushed them aside. He started his long journey again with a heavy heart. Deep down, he realized that everything was lost. He had a chance to prove himself but had failed miserably. The slow and steady journey commenced once again.
After running for what seemed like ages for him, Somnath caught a glimpse of the finishing line. He had now been running for almost 240 minutes or 4 hours. This was almost double that the practice runs used to last. With one final heave of the body, he crossed the finishing line, amidst the cheers of Navin Sir, and his friends. He collapsed once again but regained conscious within seconds. He cried on the shoulders of Navin Sir and apologized profusely for his error. Navin Sir smiled at him mysteriously, and Somnath just couldn’t make out the same.
Somnath created history without even realizing it! He was the first-ever tribal runner to complete a 42km marathon, without consuming liquids or any kind of energy drinks. Also, most importantly, Somnath had never in his life run for 42km, even as a practice run, and that too non-stop! His tribal upbringing and lifestyle supported him and ensured that he finished the race. Hats off to his running abilities!!
