Delhi half marathon 2022: 10 commandments to keep in mind

The Delhi Half Marathon is returning on October 16, 2022 (File image: Reuters)

India’s fastest half marathon, the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon, is returning on October 16 as a mass participation event for the first time since the pandemic. This was the race where Commonwealth Games steeplechase silver medallist Avinash Sable set the national record for the half marathon. And it remains the only race in India that the world’s greatest long-distance runner, Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge (he shaved 30 seconds off his own previous record, to set a new world record at the Berlin Marathon on the last Sunday of September 2022) has run. Kipchoge ran the race in 2016.

Making a race successful and enjoyable for all participants is the goal of all organisers, but that is not possible till the runners do their bit by making sure they follow some basic running etiquettes.

“Follow common courtesies and treat other runners the way you wish to be treated. From choosing the starting corrals wisely, allowing faster runners to pass, moving to the side if you are slowing down, being kind to volunteers, and continuing to move at the finish line so that subsequent finishers get to enjoy their moment… these are the small things that make a race great for all runners,” Vivek Singh, joint managing director of Procam International, promoters and organisers of the the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon and Tata Mumbai Marathon.

Here are some running etiquettes that experienced runners recommend for all:

Respect your fellow runners

“Often runners don’t like running with those slower than them. That’s not a good attitude. Every runner who shows up at the start line willing to run, no matter what the race distance might be, is already a winner. They have done their bit to earn their spot. There are all kinds of runners and runners with varying capabilities, we need to respect them all,” says Gaurav Pant, 45, who lives in Gurugram and has been running for nine years.

Do your bit for the environment

It is important that runners not throw empty water bottles and gel packets on the streets and put them in designated bins, says Delhi resident Gayatri Mathur, 35, who has been running for five years.

“Though race organisers line the course with bins to dispose the bottles, cups, wrappers and pouches, a lot of runners still just throw everything just about anywhere on the streets. This still happens across the country,” says Mathur.

Definitely don’t throw banana or orange peels on the course as they are dangerous for runners, who might slip on them and suffer a fall.

Support other runners

A road race is long and not every inch of it has aid stations or volunteers to help runners. If you see someone needs help during a run or a race, stop and help them out. For example, if you come across who has a muscle spasm or cramps, ask if you could help them stretch the affected muscles before continuing with your run, says New Delhi-based Divya Gujral, who has been running for five years. “It is nice to be nice,” says Gujral.

Behave well on the course

Sometimes the best of us act in a way that is unbecoming and inconvenience to others. In an event with thousands of runners who are working just as hard as you and literally running towards the common goal—the finish line—runners have the added obligation to behave well to ensure they do not, knowingly or unknowingly, trouble or inconvenience others, says Pant. “At times, I have heard male runners say not so nice things about women or they try to run too close to them, whether they like it or not. We need to behave well with women runners,” the 45-year-old says.

Run for happiness, not targets

Run with a happy heart and smile, says Nidhi Gupta, 45, who lives in New Delhi and has been running for five years. “The majority of us are recreational athletes and not competing in the Olympics. So, instead of putting yourself under pressure with target times and chasing personal records, feel your run and enjoy it. In the end all of us will be getting the same medal whether you finish the race in 100 minutes or in three hours,” says Gupta, adding, “Finish strong instead of suffering through the course and being in pain at the finish line because you pushed yourself more than you could have handled under the pressure of a time target.”

Hold your tongue

New Delhi-based 37-year-old Sufiya Sufi Runner (yes, that’s her official name on her government-issued identity card) points out that several runners are working on the edge of their limits during a race. “In such a scenario, every breath is important. So, avoid talking. If you happen to be a chatty runner, check with whoever you are running next if they are okay with you talking while running a race because talking might use up their precious energy, which they require to finish the race,” says Sufiya who has been running for five years now.

Cheer everyone

If you are a fast runner, cheer the slower ones as you pass them or once you finish your race, says Karandeep Singh, 47. The Delhiite, who has been running for seven years now, says that a small gesture of cheering goes a long way in motivating all runners. “The thing is when we are running, we are all equal. It doesn’t matter what your age, gender, socioeconomic background or running capabilities, when you are running you are a runner like everyone else in the race. And everyone benefits from even a little word of cheering and it pushes them on,” says Singh.

Don’t carry mobiles

One of the worst things you could do is to run with your mobile phone, and blast music into your ears—especially during a run on the city streets, warns Bengaluru-based Vijayraghavan Venugopal, 47, who has been running since 2012.

“With music blasting into your ears, you often don’t hear cars, bikes or cycle that are passing you. I have seen too many accidents and injuries to runners who didn’t hear the bike or car coming because they couldn’t hear it over the music playing in their ears,” he says.

Also, carrying your phone on the run is cumbersome. You are adding unnecessary weight and even though it might be just 200 grams, over a distance of 10km and 21km, you start feeling it eventually.

Don’t blast music on speakers

If you must play music while running, never blast music on your mobile phone speaker. Also remember that the only thing more irritating for fellow runners is being subjected to a conversation on speaker phone. Both are distracting when people are trying to focus on maintaining their rhythm while running.

Give way to faster runners

Bangalorean Gayathrie Maediratta, 45, who has been running for over 10 years now, speaks from experience when she says move to one side to make way for faster runners whenever they are passing you. “Also, if for some reason you need to stop, do not do it in the middle of the course. Move to the side... If you want to walk for a bit, move to the side so that others coming from behind do not crash into you,” says Maediratta.

Do not spit on the course

It is common for runners to spit when they are on the trot and a race day is no different. However, never spit in the middle of the track or without looking around you during a race. If you do, there’s a high probability that you might end up spitting on a fellow runner. Always move to the side of the course and spit in the drain.