Those on wildlife safaris learn beforehand about the Big 5 game animals—the rhinoceros, lion, leopard, elephant and Cape buffalo. For Shivaji Park local Milind Soman, his running safari begins on August 15, Independence Day. He will undertake the journey with his own Big 3 ideals, which are peace, harmony and unity.

Soman, Mumbai’s running machine known for his long-distance achievements, will start from his home ground at Shivaji Park, and traverse a distance of 420 km to Kevadiya Colony, facing the Sardar Sarovar dam in Gujarat, finishing at the Statue of Unity, the colossal statue of Vallabhbhai Patel. Soman’s run will stretch over eight days, where he will average a little over 50 km a day, to complete the distance. His every stride will speak about unity, “as it is a unified India that we can take ahead to a space where we want to be in the world.” He held a pre-event virtual briefing on Thursday morning.