Meet the serial spectators at the Mumbai Marathon

“I am not a runner,” says Anushi Mehta, a 36-year-old educator and curator from South Bombay, who has been tracking the Tata Mumbai Marathon since she was a teenager, and the marathon itself went by a different name. She may not have run, but every January, she’d get into the lift, head down to Pedder Road and watch her favourite marathoners—running, walking, struggling, eating—stream past.

There are many others who share her thrill but need a little more prep and planning to claim their spot as professional marathon bystanders. Consultant Radhika Vijay, 40, takes the 5:45am train from Bandra to Churchgate every year, and then walks up to Marine Drive to position herself at the corner opposite Pizza By The Bay by 7am sharp. “I go there to support my husband,” says Vijay, a self-confessed frequent spectator, who enjoys watching the game from the sideline—sometimes alone and at times with her friends.

Ayesha Billimoria, 38, athlete and coach, has run the Tata Mumbai Marathon twice but says she’s been watching it right from the beginning. “It’s my home race, of course I watch it every year,” she says, full of pride. It’s the hundreds of thousands of ordinary people like Mehta, Vijay and Billimoria, who line up the streets of Mumbai and transform India’s largest road race into a vibrant and engaging festival, where they unwittingly set the pace.

Now in its 20th year, the Mumbai Marathon has evolved through the decades. While the number of runners has grown manifold—from a few thousand in 2004 (when the marathon started) to over 60,000 expected this Sunday—the number of people turning up to watch and get in on the action has greatly outpaced the participation numbers. This is in line with the global trend of an expanding audience for road races, despite participation numbers plateauing due to on-ground limitations. Famous races such as Chicago and New York City marathons routinely have more than a million spectators lining up the entire race route from start to finish. A jaw-dropping 1.7 million people cheered 52,000 runners at the Chicago Marathon last October. Designer Elsie Nanji, 68, has run the Mumbai marathon for about 17 years and has won in her age category multiple times. “In the early days it wasn’t very busy and crowded. Nowadays, I always find people standing, even in the dark,” she says.

Many of these superfans are friends and family of runners. And most often, they come with gels, pain relief sprays, hydration supplements for the runners, and position themselves at specific mile markers to hand them off. Some plan this meticulously: potluck breakfasts, runners’ hydration boxes and on-the-go sweets are pre-packed in boxes the night before. Serious spectators start gathering along the footpaths and flyovers well before sunrise. The numbers keep growing as the sun rises and families, with children and pets on a leash, come out on the streets. “Watching the Mumbai Marathon is a tradition I hold close to my heart. It’s something I absolutely love, and over the years, it’s become a family affair. My entire family, including our household staff, joins in. We watch it from Kemp’s Corner because it’s close enough to walk there,” says celebrity stylist Anaita Shroff Adajania, who stocks up on dozens of oranges and chocolates and arranges the peeled fruits and sweets on trays for the runners. For her, the thrill is in cheering those like her sister, who participates in the race every year. “We restock near the finish line. That stretch of the race is such a critical point—you can tell when athletes start feeling the weight of the run, both physically and emotionally. Cheering them on, offering a quick boost of energy, and shouting, “You’ve got this!” is our way of lifting their spirits,” adds Shroff Adajania. Still others, like Vijay have made a sport out of this waiting game: During the race, she tracks her husband on the app, and depending on her enthusiasm, runs a short distance with him before returning to her spot to watch the elite runners fly by.

As dawn breaks, people along the Worli Sea Face hold out water, fruits, candies and nuts for participants. The streets start getting a bit packed from Haji Ali onwards as the race climbs along Pedder Road and turns to Marine Drive. Film critic and writer Udita Jhunjhunwala started catching the buzz of runners the year the marathon started: “I went down to check what all the commotion was about on a Sunday morning, and since then, my friends and I have stood at that same spot, just before the difficult climb to Kemps Corner flyover begins, for several editions of the race,” she says.

Mehta calls it one of the most fun days in South Bombay. “Pedder Road is usually filled with cars and chock-a-block with traffic. It’s a different energy on race day when there are only humans and no cars. The community spirit is on full display as everyone comes down with food and water. Children are the most excited; they love high-fiving runners. One year, I saw a neighbour bring out an instrument to play,” says Mehta, who has even walked some distance to cheer on some stragglers.

While runners slog their way through various distances—from Dream Run’s 6km to the 42.195km for those who go the whole mile—the spectators wake up to enjoy a picnic by the streets of a city that is otherwise always busy. Jhunjhunwala is in for the atmosphere. Breathing the same rarefied air as the athletes, she joins with her cup of tea (and a box of Gatorade, bananas, and pain relief spray for the runners) in hand while Vijay carries biscuits and a bottle of water. On Pedder Road, you’re likely to spot people eating their breakfast on the sidelines, happily sharing their sandwiches with any runner in need. “If a runner is hungry, they have the widest spread of breakfast to choose from while crossing Pedder Road,” jokes Nanji, whose friend has made a ritual out of handing out nimbu pani every year.

It is a special feeling—being rallied by a huge and supportive audience. Running long distances is tough and every runner feeds off the energy of the crowds when things start getting tough. It is this energy and encouragement that makes the race special for Vineeta Singh, 41, CEO and co-founder of Sugar Cosmetics, who once ran the marathon when she was six months pregnant. “It was the first time I experienced people coming on the sidewalks and cheering loudly for all runners, irrespective of their calibre. Every time I’d start walking because of the pain in my legs, the cheering would get louder. Somehow, I managed to put one foot in front of the other while smiling and waving at these spectators and realised I’d completed the race in 5 hours and 6 minutes,” adds Singh. In 2018, a very pregnant Singh completed the half marathon. “I was so nervous at the start line thinking that I’d be judged for showing up, but the love and support at the race was so heartwarming… this was especially liberating,” she says.

Race day is as exciting for spectators as it is important for runners. On that, it somehow feels like a morning block party. Vijay says, even if her husband wasn’t running, she’d go cheer at the race. “The Mumbai Marathon is a feeling, not a race. The energy is infectious, unlike any other race I’ve witnessed… there’s music, eager residents along the route and spectators coming all the way just to watch and cheer on every runner. This sense of community is unique”. For Nanji, the biggest draw of people-watching is seeing the elite runners. “They are so majestic… such a joy to watch.”

Tata Mumbai Marathon will take place in Mumbai on January 19th. For details, see here.