The Marathon with a Message: MUSTRun 2014

Participating in a marathon always feels good but it feels GREAT if it is for a noble cause. On this early Sunday morning school students, several professional athletes, amateurs, and differently-abled individuals flooded the streets of Bandra to make H-West Ward disabled friendly.

       On the 14th of December 2014, Citizens Association for Child Rights and H-West Federation organized an event titled " MUSTRun"  that brought together all these people from different walks of life along with 500 municipal school students. The 4th edition of MUSTRun marathon flagged off from St. Stanislaus High School grounds and this year it included 6 races ranging from a 21 Km race (men and women) to a special 1 Km race for the disabled.The outreach was over 4000 participants and volunteers from all over the city.

 The main objectives of the marathon were to start an Access for All project to create a barrier-free H-West Ward which will ensure ease of access to infrastructure for the handicapped as well as to senior citizens, pregnant women and people with injury.  It also supported an Oral Health Awareness Campaign along with H-west Federation’s partner The Dental Nexus to spread the importance of good dental hygiene among the population.

Citizens Association for Child Rights was represented by approximately 500 school children in age group 11-16 years from neighborhood Municipal schools who participated in the 2 Km run. Last year , we had around 250 students participate in MUSTRun and it was heart breaking to see the students battle with discomfort as they ran without shoes. It was their enthusiasm and perseverance that helped them complete the race. Thus this year CACR worked towards raising funds to get all 520+ students new pairs of shoes and socks. Thanks to all the donors who gave generously.

Donation Appeal for shoes

Getting up on a Sunday morning is something that I resent, but the opportunity to make Bandra a disabled friendly zone seemed to be a perfect motivation for me. I was responsible to get the students of Petit School in Bandra to the location of the marathon. Even though it was six in the morning, all the students were full of enthusiasm and were ready to run. As soon as they had settled into the buses we drove of to the location. The students were getting more and more eager to run.

      Soon students from all the other schools poured in. Everyone had this new  found energy within him or her. All the BMC school students were given biscuits and bananas before the race so that they are energized. After a while the race began. The first one was the boys 2 Km run which was followed by the girls 2 Km run. Both the times I could see all the students ready and willing to win the race. All the by-standers cheered all the students and coaxed them all to finish the race. After the race all the students were given a while to rest followed by a food hamper, which they happily munched on. Seeing the joy and satisfaction on the faces of all the winners was priceless.It was Sunday morning well spent. We were happy to give a chance to these children to display their athletic talent.

Municipal school girls run at the 2km race at MUSTRun

Citizens Association for Child Rights had also organized a photo booth sessions for all the participants and volunteers present at the venue. Each person posed with a quote that they felt suited them the most. The quotes spoke about education, volunteering, and child rights among the various other topics. All the participants posed happily with the posters.

People happily posing to support child rights and education 

Soon the event came to an end with a prize distribution ceremony. All the winners were given cash prizes along with other goodies. All in all the event was a huge success that was covered by 25+ News Dailies and few televisions channels.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself with my team mates. Hope to do it again next time.

Meesha with her team members who helped make MUSTRun a success

-Meesha Gandhi, is a social media intern with CACR , a education non-profit based in Mumbai ,India. CACR works to improve the quality of education and health of school children in municipal (inner city) schools. 

Running inspiration from 'The Flying Sikh'

   Inspiration.It is something that touches you when you  meet enthusiastic positive people, watch a soulful movie, read a well written book, observe champions in action, and so on. There can be so many varied ways and individuals that can inspire us to work hard, to excel at our work, to fulfill our dreams, to follow our heart no matter what.  One such shining example is of Milkha Singh. 

From his humble modest beginnings to his life as an illustrious athlete, Milkha Singh’s story has been a compelling one. While his performances  have bought accolades for Indian sports, his life as a whole has  inspired millions to pursue their dreams 

Indian Athlete Milkha Singh 

  
Born on 20 November 1929, Milkha Singh lived in a relatively loving environment in the initial days of his childhood. However the tides turned when the Indo-Pak separation destroyed the lives of those living on the line of separation. The death of his parents in the ensuing massacre gave a rocky start to 12 year old Milkha’s life. An escape to the independent India on a train and starting a life in a relief camp made him tough. Having no one left to be dependent on, his survival skills kicked in and that made Milkha a strong young man with some incredible dreams and energy to bring those dreams to fruition.

Milkha Singh gained admission in the Indian military on the third trial in 1951 with the help of his brother. It was in the army that his potential for running and participating in competitive games as an athlete was recognized.  In the 1956 Olympics, he participated for the first time in an international sprinting competition only to suffer a crushing defeat on the international circuit. The failure brought in light his need for better training and thus he took a sabbatical for almost a year to undergo rigorous training. 

The fact that he never quit was the major factor in his success. In 1958 he made a comeback on the track when he got a chance to play for India at National games held at Cuttack. The tremendous training and discipline paid off and he went on to win a gold medal in the 400 meter run. The win was one of the defining moments of his life and also a golden moment in the history of Indian sports.

   Milkha Singh has broken various records at international level. In the 1960 race Milkha Singh received the title “Flying Sikh” for his exemplary performance. The title was bestowed upon him by Pakistani president Ayub Khan for it is said that this great athlete appeared to be flying on the track.  

Children running at MUSTRun in 2013 

He has broken various records in the 200 meter and 400 meter races and has received honors like Arjuna award & Padmashri award which are considered one of  the highest civilian honors by Government of India.Milkha Singh is highly disciplined when it comes to running. He is 81 and even now Milkha Singh’s voice is strong, still carries that firm conviction. He still remains a source of inspiration to many children and young adults who want to pursue athletics. 

CACR also encourages school children to pursue their passion of running and to give an opportunity to school children from public schools to display their talent. CACR is participating in MUSTRun Marathon where more than  500 students from municipal (inner city public) schools will be running on a track 2km long. 

    CACR is glad to be a part of such events that encourage children from the less privileged sections of society. So if you are in Mumbai on December 14th this year do join us to promote and motivate these young budding athletes 

--by Hitesh, a volunteer with Citizens Association for Child Rights a  non profit education startup working to improve quality of health and education in municipal(inner city) schools of Mumbai