“Runners an odd sight on Surat roads just half a decade back. That there are today a few hundred everyday is significantly due to the efforts, guidance and encouragement provided by the “Surti Runners” group. Starting with just a handful of runners, Surti Runners has expanded into a group with more than 1500 members who have conquered hundreds of races. Be it half marathons, full marathons, ultra marathons, triathlons or anything else, Surti Runners have made a significant name for themselves”- says Dr. Kalpesh Jain one of the veteran runners of the Surti runners group.

On 13th September, 2015 Surat is ready to host the first edition of ‘Surat City Half Marathon’. A runners’ group based out of the city called ‘Surti Runners’ is the main anchor behind the manifestation of the event. Hailed as a marathon ’by the runners, for the runners’, it aims at being an epitome of the celebration of the joy of running, making it more about runners, their constant perseverance and the smile and contentment on their faces as they cross the finish line, cutting off all of the extra fat and uncalled for fanfare.

Back in 2009, Dr. Pranav Desai created a Facebook group titled  ‘Surti Runners’, and since then there has been no looking back . One thing that anyone would tell you is that running is contagious, and runners are even more so. “The group spread purely by word of mouth. Friends of the initial members who wanted to run were helped into it by them. Today the group has about 1500 odd members, and everybody almost knows everybody,” says Prabhakar Singh, a doctor, an avid runner and also a member of Surti Runners.

Dr. Pranav Desai – The founding member of Surti Runners group with other veteran runners.

Surat City Half Marathon has been born out of the need of not just having a marathon in the city, but to also use it as a pivot, to mobilize maximum number of people to take up the sport. The sport of running isn’t just about putting on your shoes and heading out on the road,it’s a way of channeling your energies, getting your mind and body in order, teaching yourself a thing or two about discipline, focus and most importantly being mindful, and enjoying the peace that comes with all of it. And this ideology makes a part of the message that they are trying to spread across via the event

There are runners who are specifically coming down to Surat to run in SCHM, there’s this bunch of 140 odd people who have been training under the wings of few of the members from the Surti Runners, poised to take on their maiden half marathon. Above all, there’s another veteran runner from Mumbai- Mr. Satish Gujaran, who’s running 284 Km all the way from Mumbai to Surat, to take part in the marathon. And then there are the hundreds who have registered. And if you ever have been passionate about anything ever, you’d know why these people have, are , or will be undertaking all of the efforts.

There are times that your passion drives you beyond excellence, limits and all of the adjectives that people generally use become useless, because in those moments you are in it, because you want to be in it and it makes the most sense to you.

Living to run indeed.

Pic  Courtesy : Dr. Pranav Desai