‘Marathon shatters stereotypical gender barriers’

Empowering women, especially the girl child, on International Women’s Day is the agenda of this year’s dna ICan Marathon, which will be held on March 8 at the Bandra-Kurla Complex. We spoke to some of the previous year’s participants and asked them how the run had changed them.

Fashion designer Dhara Jain said, “It’s a great feeling. I’m pregnant and praying for a girl, because I think the one thing that the marathon has achieved is to break the stereotypical gender barriers.”

The marathon is also a way to adapt a healthier lifestyle and go on a journey of self-discovery, said many ex-participants.

“In these times, there is little time a woman can spend with herself. Hence, I loved my experience at the marathon, focussing on myself… I had never run 10 kilometres before, but when I reached the finish line, I realised that I can achieve whatever I put my mind to. For me, this marathon symbolises a process of self-discovery. It was also after I ran the marathon that I started to take my health seriously,” said Vrushali Kulkarni, a Parel resident.

The marathon also boosts one’s self confidence, said Pallavi Kamat, who works as a business manager with Kotak Life Insurance. “Finishing a half marathon or a spirit run always boosts your confidence. It teaches you to be fitter and adds discipline to your workout sessions. However, the reason why I specifically chose the dna ICan Marathon was because of the cause it stands for. It’s great that it supports the progress and empowerment of women and helps them build up their confidence,” she added.