At 78, Ashish Roy is marathon man of India

The romance began at the age of 53, and the Marathon Man of India promises to continue till his last breath. Each marathon brings unending applaud and new hope.   Everyone asks him about the driving force behind his not-so lucrative pastime.  “It is not money”, says Roy, and  turns philosophical, “Do not run for money.” “I run for health and pleasure. Running provides you great psychological strength. I never run for money,” he adds.

He is not comfortable with the commercialisation of marathons. He describes drawbacks of commercialisation and elaborates how most of the international marathons offer no cash prize. All you get is trophies, medals, pair of shoes and tracksuits. “Running gives you lot of other things you can not buy with money. Even in a country like the USA, no one runs for money.”

“Only two American marathons have cash prizes”, he stresses.

Though he had a liking for the sport in his early years too, he could not pursue it after getting into the tough responsibilities of the Air Force in 1957. At that time, Air Force did not have too many doctors and it was not possible to enjoy such luxuries. However, everyone had to meet fitness requirements.  

By the time he retired, he had almost forgotten about his teenage pastime. Settled in Delhi to practise cardiology in Chittranajn Park, a classy locality of central Delhi with a sizeable population of Bengali bhadralok, Roy did not think of it for almost five years.

An insignificant incident rekindled his dormant love for the sport. He recalls the story with great enthusiasm--one fine morning one of his friends crossed him but did not recognise him because he had put on enough weight! The doctor quickly diagnosed the malady and decided to shed the flab, and that is how it all started. His determination to lose his weight ended up in him taking to running and then it turned into a passion. It appears that geographical proximity to the National Stadium also influenced the transition because it was not difficult for him to maintain regularity.  His romance with marathon began in 1984 when he completed a half marathon.  It was in 1987 when he made the national record in marathon for the age group of 55+. He completed it in 3 hours 10 minutes.  

Roy has his own philosophy of the sport, entirely different from those who pursue it. He says one should not run to win. His advice is simple but inspiring that one should run for joy, for inner satisfaction. “Marathon is not a competition. Every one who completes it is a winner. Do not try to compete with anyone. Unlike other sports, it does not require you to compete. Otherwise you will destroy the pleasure of running.”

Whether running is only for inner-satisfaction? Does it not give any thing else?

Roy smiles and the doctor in him suddenly comes out. He not only tells you how running is the best exercise, but also reminds you that it is essential to avoid risk of heart attacks “It drains bad cholesterol from your body and retains good one. Arteries become stronger with its thickened wall, which reduces the risk of attacks. Autopsies of runners confirm it. Running inhibits clotting as well,” says Roy.

Is there any age-limit to join the sport?  “Not at all”, he replies, “You can start at any age and can continue till the end. I hope I will pursue the sport till my last breath.

 “But, only thing you have to keep in mind, age slows the pace and do not think of competing with those who are young. Start slowly and gradually, you will gain your momentum.”

For Roy, running has not been a simple sporting experience. It is much more than that.
It took him across the globe, to almost all famous cities. “It thrills me when people express their surprise on my year of birth. It is printed on the back of my shirt- 1932.
Those who have not seen this printed, they end up guessing that my age should be around 60”, he laughs.

“Running stops ageing,” he confirms.  So, his romance with marathon is not a linear story of running on the tracks. Roy can tell you stories after stories, which unfold several dimensions of human life. He recalls how in Holland he saw a man running with cuffed hands and feet. The competitor was on death row and wanted to run before saying a goodbye to life. In another marathon, a pregnant woman competed. Roy has written a book, the Joy of Running, which contains all the advices for a fresher.

He is sure that one day running would be one of the popular sports in India and “we would be able to win as many medals as others are getting.” He thinks that women runners are more capable of doing it than their male counterparts, and refers such names like Preeja Shreedharan and Kavita Raut who successfully participated in Commonwealth and Asian Games. He expects Indian athletes to do well in next Olympic. However, he suggests that Indian sports should free itself from bureaucratic control, and every athlete should be provided with best available training and resources.

Roy’s 107 marathon races include 69 events in foreign countries. Roy has won medals in his age group in the 33 International marathons and placed first  in the following :

1.    Asian Veteran Marathon, Kuala Lumpur - 1990
2.    Toledo Marathon USA - 1999
3.    Cleveland Marathon USA - 1999
4.    Cincinnati Marathon USA - 1999
5.    Pepsi Millennium Marathon, Burlington - 2000
6.    Prague International Marathon - 2003
7.    Lahore International Marathon, Pakistan - 2005
8.    Charlottesville Marathon, USA - 2005
9.    Forest City Marathon, London - 2005 & USA - 2007
10.    Bob Potts Marathon (USA) - 2009
11.    Niagara Marathon (Canada) - 2009
12.    Harrisburg Marathon (USA) - 2009
13.    Chandigarh Marathon (India) - 2010
14.    Potomac River marathon (USA) -In age group
70+ - 2010
15.    Bob Potts Marathon (USA) - In age group 70+ - 2010
16.    Sun Burst Marathon (USA) - In age group 75+ - 2010