Yes. That was my identification number at the Bangalore marathon. I participated in the 5 kilometre “Run Bangalore” event and crossed the finish line in about 50 odd minutes – somewhere in the middle of the pack.

The route:

3/4 of a lap inside the Kanteerava stadium, out through Gate 3, through Kasturabha road, a left at Jewels De Paragon circle, a left again at the GPO, in front of the Vidhana Soudha (a moment of pride for me), through Cubbon Park, a left at Hudson circle, back into Kanteerava stadium through Gate 4, another 3/4 of a lap inside the stadium, and finally, the finish line.

Highlights:

The event was a huge success. You could see people of all ages – men, women, and children – and even foreigners, enthusiastically waiting for the run. I think even the Deputy Commissioner of Police ran in the event (and he finished ahead of me!). The highlight of the run for me: running close to a water booth, catching a water bottle in mid-air, and continuing the run.

Special thanks must be conveyed to the Bangalore City Traffic Police for having managed traffic on the route so well. In fact, sections of the route were cordoned and reserved especially for the runners. Great going guys!

However, I did witness a few situations where the uglier side of Bangalore’s public came to the front. At junctions where the runners were required to cross the road, the traffic police were issuing the red signal to oncoming traffic. Instead of cheering the runners, people sitting in their vehicles just kept honking like they were nuts. Some even went to the extent of abusing the traffic police. What a shame!

In all, a fun event – for the participants. Thank you, Fitness One, for sponsoring my participation.