Tata Mumbai Marathon 2023: Meet Vivek Singh, the man who runs the show – CNBCTV18

In the wee hours of Sunday, January 15 over 50,000 people will flood the streets of Mumbai trying to get to the finish line. They will be part of the largest marathon in Asia, the Mumbai Marathon.  The Tata Mumbai Marathon is ready to hit the restart button after a COVID-19-induced break of two years.

Since its inception in 2003, the Mumbai Marathon has grown in stature and significance. It is not just about super-fit long-distance runners attempting to cover 42.19 km in the shortest time. The marathon is a cultural coming together that sees people from all sections of society unite for a simple run. Young and old, from working-class heroes to corporate honchos, the differently-abled, and people across various genders, the Mumbai Marathon welcomes one and all. That is not all — it also raises funds for charity.

But have you ever wondered who first dreamt up Mumbai Marathon?

With just days to go for the annual race to get under way, CNBCTV18.com caught up with Vivek Singh, the joint MD of Procam International, and one of the two brains who came up with the idea to make Mumbai run.

Procam International is the sports management company that is the promoter of the Mumbai Marathon. After starting the Mumbai Marathon, Procam International has gone on to establish marathons in Bengaluru (The TCS World 10k), Delhi (Airtel Delhi Half Marathon), and Kolkata ( Tata Steel Kolkata 25K). Each of these four marathons is now an integral part of India’s sporting calendar.

In an interview with CNBCTV18.com, Vivek Singh spoke at length about the idea of setting up Procam, what inspired him and his brother Anil Singh to start the Mumbai Marathon, the success stories of the Mumbai Marathon, and their future plans.

Excerpts of the interview are below

What is the Procam story?

Vivek Singh:  Procam is a full-fledged sports management company. We have been in existence since 1988. We started our journey with many different events, especially tennis. We did the biggest tennis tournament in the country. We did the biggest squash tournament in the country. We did that for several years till 2003. That was when we launched the first Mumbai Marathon. That time the title sponsor for the marathon was Standard Chartered Bank.

Since 2003, the Mumbai Marathon has caused a revolution in the sporting landscape of India. A country that was led by spectator sports slowly embraced participative sports. And that happened with the launch of the first Mumbai Marathon.

What was the motivation for Procam to get into marathons, a sport that was not that popular in India at that time?

Vivek Singh: My brother Anil and myself had a dream of bringing a large-scale marathon to India. The marathon could be a panacea for society’s evils. Getting people together on one platform. Bringing communal harmony. Bringing charity, health, fitness, and a showcase for Indian athletics will be a boon to society. With these thoughts and these seeds in our minds, we thought of conducting the marathon.

We went to London and we saw the London marathon. We saw all this out there. We saw how the common people, mothers, fathers, doctors, brothers, whatever, on that one day became the marathoners — something we thought was only possible for professional athletes. It is such a beautiful thing that a common man can become a marathoner. We said to ourselves that this magic must come to India. And that is what gave us the inspiration. It is not about bringing an event. It is a movement. We sowed the seeds of pride and prestige. The seeds of communal harmony. That is how we conceived and delivered the first edition of the Mumbai Marathon.

What were the challenges in the initial years?

Vivek Singh: There were two kinds of challenges. One is the authorities. We had to convince them. We needed to convince them to give us the city for the marathons. Without government support, none of this would have been possible.

The next challenge was to convince the people. We needed to convince them that they needed to come out and believe in themselves. Running was not a culture in India till the Mumbai Marathon happened. It has empowered the housewives, the common man, and the corporate czars. We needed to convince all of them that it is good for all of them. We needed to convince them that their participation could make a difference in someone else’s life.

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You have overseen so many marathons in India. Could you recall just one success story that has been at the top of your head always?

Vivek Singh: There are over a thousand success stories but I will give you one example.

Amit Sheth, a Gujarati businessman. He never exercised in his life. He was sitting and watching the 2004 marathon. He told his wife about the marathon. For him, it was something wonderful that people were running in his city.  It motivated him to participate in the marathon next year. His wife’s response was that even the thought of running could be dangerous for her husband.  Then Amit goes to a doctor first. He realised that he needed to get in shape first. He starts getting the right physiotherapy. He starts practising and running distances. Amit Sheth in a few years went on to conquer the  Comrades Marathon in South Africa. The  Comrades Marathon is arguably the toughest road race in the world. He became the Comrades ambassador for India. He also got his wife into running and together the two became the first Indian couple to finish the race.  There are thousands of such stories.

N. Chandrasekaran, the Chairman of Tata Sons, changed his life just by taking distance running, making him a better leader.

It is something that the participants of the Mumbai Marathon have realised. Participating in these marathons makes them better people. A better father, a better mother, a better corporate leader, and a better citizen.

Could you give us an insight into the preparations that go into organising the Mumbai Marathon? 

Vivek Singh: It is several weeks of preparations. Liasoning with the authorities, doing route recce, the venue recce. There are so many changes that are happening in Mumbai that add to the challenges. But then those challenges have to be met. We get support and cooperation from all levels of the government. From the municipal body of Mumbai, the Mumbai Police, the railways, the sports departments, and BEST,  every department comes together to support the Mumbai Marathon. Each of them is a stakeholder in the Mumbai Marathon.

We also need to talk to international sporting bodies to bring in foreign athletes. We need to bring broadcasters on board. The medical arrangements also need to be in place.

Which city out of the four — Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi, and Kolkata — has accepted the marathons wholeheartedly and is the most passionate about it. 

Vivek Singh: All cities! We have been amazed.  Every city has done it year after year. They have accepted these marathons. They have embraced these marathons. There are more cities waiting for such marathons. More cities are saying to us to bring the magic of the marathons to their doorsteps.

The 2023 Tata Mumbai Marathon is coming back after a break of two years. What are your expectations this time around?

Vivek Singh: The excitement is huge this time — 55,000 runners are huge. Another 5,000 runners will participate virtually via the TMM app. This is going to be the largest showcase of running since the inception of the Mumbai Marathon. God willing, this is going to be a landmark moment.

What are the changes that you have observed in India since the Mumbai Marathon first began?

Vivek Singh: Everything has changed. The way people have taken to participative sports. Charity money is being raised. The way parents are encouraging their children. Everything has changed. The sporting mindset of the nation has changed.

Thanks to these marathons, people are increasingly taking to cycling, swimming, trekking and adventure sports. It is because these marathons brought in the culture of common man becoming a sportsman and not merely a spectator. A sporting mindset has been created in the country.

Finally, your message to the runners for January 15?

Vivek Singh: Each one of you is special. Be safe, and run your race. And enjoy yourselves.

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