Mumbai Marathon not for fun!

THE seventh edition of the Stanchart Mumbai Marathon will be run on January 17, 2010 and the adrenaline has already started pumping with registrations opening on Thursday (July 9) evening

Mumbai Marathon not for fun!

THE seventh edition of the Stanchart Mumbai Marathon will be run on January 17, 2010 and the adrenaline has already started pumping with registrations opening on Thursday (July 9) evening.

This time around, the marathon has become pricier for runners. The entry fees for the 42 km (full) and 21 km (half) category have increased and full and half-marathoners will have to shell out a total of Rs 500 as entry fee. Last year the entry fee was Rs 300. When the first ever Mumbai marathon took place in 2004, full and half marathon runners paid Rs 50 as entry fee.

The additional money is because these two categories are now compulsory time categories. This means all 21 km and 42 km runners will be given what is called a champion chip. This is a device that records one's race timing. Vivek Singh, director, Procam (marathon organisers), says, "The champion chip is necessary to make sure that the 21 km and 42 km runners can record their authentic timing. We have seen that a lot of fun runners and dawdlers are coming into the 21 km category, which is now becoming oversubscribed. With this, we hope to keep all these not very serious runners out."

Since the past two years, Mumbai seems to have graduated from the Dream Run (7 km) to the 21 km event.

Nearly everyone wants to do the half-marathon and a lot of people who have not trained are simply ambling through this category, rather than running earnestly. With a higher entry fee and a timing device, the organisers hope to introduce a more serious element into the category.

The registrations are open and will close by August 18, 2009. The forms are available at Standard Chartered banks in the city. For more information, call the helpline at +91 2242020200, Monday to Saturday, between 10 am and 6 pm.

Entry fees for 2010 marathon
42 km: Rs 500
21 km: Rs 500
Dream Run: Rs 300
Senior Citizens' Run: Rs 200
Wheelchair Event: Rs 200

What is the champion chip?
It is a device used to record the runner's timing in the race. It has to be attached to one's shoelaces. In the Mumbai Marathon 2010, each 42 and 21 km runner will be given a champion chip. After the marathon, the runner can keep the chip as a souvenir.

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