All you need to know about Tata Mumbai Marathon – Moneycontrol

The Mumbai Marathon began 20 years ago, but this year will see the 18th edition of the race, as it had to be cancelled in 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than 55,000 participants will take to the streets for the Tata Mumbai Marathon on January 15, 2023 (the marathon is held on the third Sunday of January).

This year’s event will feature the full marathon, half marathon, 10k, Dream Run, Senior Citizens Run and Champions with Disability run. The ambassador is the Jamaican sprint great and Olympic medallist Yohan Blake.

Jamaican sprint great and Olympic medallist Yohan Blake is the ambassador for Tata Mumbai Marathon 2023. (Photo: Twitter)

Owing to infrastructure work in the city, there are some changes, including the half marathon starting point, post-race medal collection and race routes. Also, this year different races have different post-finish line holding areas.

Here’s what you need to know, including the best place to catch the runners, and how to get to the start line on race day:

Race-bib collection:

You can collect your race bibs, meet the pacers and attend immersive events, talks and interact with runners and sports-related brands at the Mirchi Get Active Expo between January 11 and 14. Remember to carry your confirmation email and an official proof of identity.

Venue: Kalina University Campus, Gate No. 2, Sports Complex open ground, Vidyanagar, Kalina, Santa Cruz (East).

Timings:

January 11 to 13: 10.30 am to 7 pm

January 14: 10 am to 5 pm

Race start location, time and route

Full Marathon 

This race starts at 5.15 am from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus or Victoria Terminus in south Bombay. The holding area at Azad Maidan opens at 3 am. The cut-off time for the full is 1.15 pm. The elite race featuring top international and Indian runners starts at 7.20 am and will wrap up by 10.50 am.

The race route moves towards the National Centre for the Performing Arts and then goes along the length of Marine Drive before turning towards Peddar Road past the Haji Ali and Mahalaxmi Race Course, through Worli sea face, over the Sea Link and into Bandra before turning towards Mahim and Shivaji Park. After Shivaji Park the runners return to Worli sea face and then back on Peddar Road, Marine Drive and then turn towards Churchgate station and finish at OCS Chowk near Azad Maidan.

Medal collection: After the finish line, the holding area for full marathon participants is near Bombay Gymkhana. They can collect their medals and refreshments here.

Half Marathon 

The most popular distance of the event after the Dream Run has a new starting point at the Mahim Causeway. It starts at 5.15 am and all runners must finish by 9.55 am. The holding area for all runners is also on Mahim Causeway and it opens at 3.30 am.

From Mahim Causeway runners will head to the Bandra flyover, then Western Express Highway before making their way to the Worli Sea Link, turn left to INS Strata, along Worli Sea face towards Worli Dairy, left under Love Grove flyover, U-turn at Worli Naka and past Haji Ali, up Peddar Road and Kemps Corner flyover, turn right towards Babulnath, then on to Marine Drive, left at the Pizza by the Bay junction towards Churchgate and finish at OCS Chowk.

Medal collection: After the finish line, half marathoners will get their medals and refreshments at their holding area in Cross Maidan.

10km Race

This one starts at 6 am from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and runners must finish by 7.58 am. The holding area is Azad Maidan, which opens at 3 am.

From the start line, participants will run around the Oval Maidan and head to the Trident Hotel at Nariman Point and then onto Marine Drive till the Charni Road station where they take a U-turn and towards the Pizza by the Bay junction where they turn left towards Churchgate station and end at OCS Chowk.

Medal collection: Same as full marathon, near Bombay Gymkhana.

Dream Run

Participants have to assemble at Azad Maidan and the race starts at 8.05 am from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. The Dream Run finish line is at the Metro Cinema on MG Road. All runners must finish by 10.43 am.

India Inc top guns lining up:

This race brings out the who’s who or India Inc every year. This edition also has a long list of business leaders and entrepreneurs running. Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran, IDFC First Bank managing director and CEO V Vaidyanathan and Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani will run the half marathon. SUGAR Cosmetics co-founder and CEO and Shark Tank investor Vineeta Singh and Indiabulls Housing Finance Ltd vice-chairman, MD and CEO Gagan Banga will go for the full marathon. Morgan Stanley executive director Anuradha Nath and Cipla’s global head for talent acquisition Sabeena Ladak will participate in the 10km race.

Elite runners

Defending champion Derara Hurisa and the 2020 runner-up Ayele Abshero, both from Ethiopia, are back to fight it out again for the men’s title, while the 2019 champion Worknesh Alemu, another Ethiopian, and last year’s Nairobi Marathon winner, the Kenyan Sheila Chepkech, are the top contenders for women’s prize. Among Indian elite runners, former Asian marathon champion and Olympian Gopi T and defending champion of Indian elites Srinu Bugatha are the frontrunners.

Total prize money: $405,000 (around Rs 3.3 crore) with the winners of the elite race pocketing $45,000 and runners-up getting $25,000. The Indian elite winners get Rs 500,000 and runners-up get Rs 400,000. Top 10 runner in each elite category get a cash prize.

Pacers

For the full marathon there are 25 pacers, all of whom are finishers of either the gruelling Comrades Ultra in South Africa or one of the six World Marathon Majors race.

There are 10 pacers for the half marathon and an all-women pacing team of seven runners will be deployed for the 10km race.

Aid and hydration stations

There are 25 hydration stations and two cooling zones with cool mist throwing tunnels along the route. Another three hydration stations are past the finish line. There will also be 11 wet-sponge stations, 11 stations handing out oranges to runners, eight elite drink stations and six ice stations.

Medical support

The organisers have deployed 600 medical professionals and set up 10 medical aid stations on race route, one at the half marathon holding area in Mahim, three medical base camps and one mini medical base camp each at Cross Maidan and at Bombay Gymkhana.

About 400 volunteers from 22 run clubs from across India will help out in various areas starting from aid, hydration and support stations to cheering runners along the route.

Special trains and shuttle bus service on race day

Special trains will run on race day morning from Virar to Churchgate and Thane to CSMT. A shuttle bus service will ply between 3 am and 5 am from Sion and Mahim railway stations to within the proximity of the half marathon start line at Mahim. Private vehicles from north Mumbai can travel up to St Michael’s Church and Mahim Station.

Waste-managed event

This is a 100 percent waste-managed event, focusing on reduce, reuse and recycle. The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai works closely with the race organisers in the execution and last-mile disposal of all the waste generated along the course, the holding areas and the event expo.

Best spots to watch the race at

Daybreak in Mumbai is rather late and there’s no point lining up near the start line in the dark. Best time to catch runners in full flow is around 6.15 am at the Worli Sea Face all the way up till Worli Dairy. Then from Haji Ali onwards all the way through Peddar Road and Marine Drive up to the finish line there is plenty of opportunity to catch the action from close quarters.