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BANGALORE: Milind Soman is back in the city with yet another property that aims to promote running and fitness. Event management company Maximus Events, which also organises the now popular women’s running event Pinkathon, recently announced its partnership with Crowd Strings Events and Exhibitions Pvt Ltd to launch Bluemix.net Monsoon Marathon - Bangalore’s first of its kind run in the rain.

"Most runners give monsoons a miss, because of the rains. They think rains would lead to diseases and other accidents. We want to dispel this myth," says Milind Soman, talking about his latest event. "Running in the rains has many benefits, which include increased stamina, developing core strength, improved blood circulation and experiencing less exhaustion," he says.

The legendary track and field sprinter Milkha Singh - the Face of the Event - will flag off the inaugural run on August 31. The run targets runners of different kinds that include beginners and seasoned runners alike with categories of the 21K half marathon, 10K and 5K.

Milind rues that India has never had a tradition of exercise and fitness, and he’d like to change that. "It’s the same reason I decided to start Pinkathon. If the women of the country learn the importance of staying fit, they’ll pass it on to the rest of their family," he says.

For someone who has been regularly exercising since he was 10 years old, Milind feels lucky that his parents were very supportive of his extra curricular activities. "I’m very lucky that my mother encouraged my sporting activities, even when other relatives were pressuring her to make me focus on studies harder. I was also quite lucky that there was a pool right next door to my house. When I was 10 years old, I participated in my first national swimming competition and came away with a silver medal," he says.

"That was a huge incentive and that feeling of achievement stayed with me for a long time. By the time I was 23, I was swimming six hours a day. So I was very fit. And once you get that feeling of being healthy, you always want to feel that way. It’s an addiction of sorts," he says.

However, he also confesses that he used to hate the idea of running when he was younger. "But I was also quite fascinated by the idea of running for a marathon and thought that every person should do it at least once in their lifetime. So in 2003, when Mumbai organised its first marathon, I jumped at the chance and decided to run the half marathon. I trained vigorously on the treadmill for weeks. And finally when I went through with it, it was this life changing experience. It was self validating and satisfactory," he says.

So for the next five years, he continues attending the half marathon. And in 2009, he was confident enough to run the full marathon and he hasn’t looked back since.

The Pinkathon will also get bigger this year. From the four cities it visited last year, in 2014, Pinkathon will visit six cities. "We are also going to oragnise a half-marathon for visually challenged people in Mumbai, this year. Every visually challenged person will be assigned a runner who will guide them through the marathon," he informs.

When asked if he’s signed up for any new movies, he says, "I’ve been approached by Sanjay Leela Bhansali for his next film. However, I’m yet to get back to him as I’m not sure if I have the time to dedicate to a big production like this. However, the idea is quite exciting," he reveals.

For more details about the Bluemix.net Monsoon Marathon and for registering for the event, visit www.monsoonmarathon.in

 Bluemix Monsoon Marathon 2014’

Bangalore’s First of Its Kind Run in the Monsoon Season

Flag Off By

Milkha Singh – Legendary Track and Field Sprinter

Milind Soman – Actor, Fitness Enthusiast, Founder Pinkathon