Running for a cause

The city witnessed a very different run on Sunday with men  and women running together at the 'Beardo-Thon' held in Cubbon Park in the wee hours of the morning.  

Hosted by the 'Bharath Beard Club' and the 'Mumbai Runners', this event was held to mark 'International Men's Day'. The  event  was held as an initiative to run  and raise awareness  for men's health.  

The event saw a robust registration which came as a pleasant surprise for the organisers and saw the participation of regular runners, young and old men, professionals and people from all walks of life.

Dilip Kumar, a businessman, who heard about the event through Facebook, said that he was excited because he loves running and the event was held in support of men's health.

"It's rare that two passions come together in one event. I also made it a point to connect with others and encourage them to come. Many from my  running group, 'No Brakes', came to the event," he said.  

Dilip, who is a regular at Cubbon Park, says that the route was familiar to him. "This made the run easier for me.  Like any other running event, this was  a big confidence booster and a platform to hone one's running skills," he added.

For others like Sharan M, a senior associate, the event was "about exploring many different aspects of manhood, varying from men health issues to maintaining beards". He said, "It was exciting to see the 'Beardos' (members of the Beard Club) sharing many interesting stories. Some cheered us while we were running while others told us about how to  maintain a beard."

After the registrations, the  runners were briefed about the route. The starting and ending point was the park's bandstand. The event also included a zumba session.

"Apart from the participants, it was nice to see others cheering and supporting us too. Also many women came out in support of the event, which was very encouraging," said Sharan.  

Most  marathons or runs that happen in the city are to support women or child issues, which is where this event stood out, said Anju KP, a photographer. "The event was held on an apt day, which also marks and highlights the cause behind 'No Shave  November'. When men can come out in support of our causes, why can't we do the same?" she  said.  

Anju felt that the best part of the event was that it was a free one, which encouraged many to participate.

"It's when we stand together as a team that we can battle deadly episodes, especially health issues like cancer and other such ailments," she added.