Mumbai marathon kicks off this Sunday on January 17 but the 2014 edition continues to haunt and give me nightmares when a dear friend of mine, 38-Yr-old Amit Kasat collapsed and died after being in coma for over 9 months. Running is extremely good for health but marathon running could be strenuous for non-professionals where heart beats and pulse can rise to dangerous levels on account of excitement to complete the race which has today become a fad in most parts of the world.
The organizers should keep a close watch on the event and pull out runners puffing for breath to prevent fatal eventualities. A simple health check of heart and other parameters too should be made mandatory for future events so that casualties can be controlled and kept to the bare minimum but organizers are sadly more bothered in increasing the number count than safety aspects which is sad.
Also, naming a special memento award in the name of Amit Kasat fell on deaf ears and requesting marathon organizers to reconsider it for future events as that would be an fitting tribute to the departed soul. Hope this year’s marathon is free from casualties and wishing every participant a safe run.
S.N. Kabra
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
