Septuagenarian Ashis Roy's romance with marathons : India

By Abhishek Roy

New Delhi, Nov 12 - For some running marathons is just another way to make money, but for septuagenarian Ashis Roy it is a romance with life. Roy, 75, has completed over 80 marathons so far and he doesn't want to stop just yet.

The septuagenarian has a number of records to his name at an age where people find walking a chore. He is the first Indian to have run a marathon after attaining the age of 60 as well as 70.

'Indian sports is only limited to youth. People are not aware that there are sporting activities for all age groups,' said Roy, a resident of New Delhi's Chittaranjan Park.

'I took to marathon running after I crossed the age of 50 and since then I have fallen in love with it. For me running marathons is a romance with life,' he said.

Roy took to long distance running after retiring from the Indian Air Force where he served as a cardiologist for 21 years.

'In my college days I was a long distance runner. And I joined the armed forces, to fulfil my ambition to represent India in long distance running. But gradually due to work pressure the ambition died,' he recalled.

'After I retired in 1978 as a wing commander, I settled into private practice. But from January 1983, I started running just as a physical exercise to reduce my weight.

'The following year, Delhi hosted the first Rath Marathon and it was my first taste of competition. I had to struggle to complete the race and I took more than four hours to cross the finish line,' he said.

Roy went on to add that his running career soon took an upward curve and he completed the 1985 Rath Marathon in three hours and 55 minutes at the age of 53.

'By 1986 I achieved my top form and started running in different marathons in the country. The same year I competed in my first international event at the International Veterans Marathon in Athens,' said Roy.

'Participating in Athens was a great moment for me as I became the first Indian to run on the original marathon route of the first Olympiad in 1896. It took three hours and 53 minutes for me to finish the race,' he said.

At the age of 54, Roy ran in International Veterans Marathon, which was even more special for him because he got a chance to meet his childhood idol the legendary Emil Zatopek of the Czech Republic.

Zatopek, who was the guest of honour, had won the 5,000m, 10,000m and the marathon gold medals in the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games, which to date is a record.

'I couldn't believe that I was standing next to my childhood idol. We stayed in the same hotel and when I finished the race in third position he embraced me and kissed my cheeks. After that we developed a relationship and became pen friends,' said Roy.

Since then, Roy has run in 80 marathons, of which 49 have been outside India. He is also the first man in the world above the age of 70 to run in two marathons on successive Sundays - the 2003 Prague International Marathon (May 18) and the Vienna International Marathon (May 25).

He took first place in his age group at Prague.

Of the 49 marathons overseas, he has finished on the podium on 18 occasions, no mean feat by any standards.

'The marathon in Prague was also very special as I was in the hometown of my childhood idol Zatopek. I dedicated my win to the legend. In the same race the guest of honour was Nina, the widow of Zatopek. And she presented me Zatopek's picture of running during the 1952 Olympics,' he said.

The photo might have faded but it still remains one of the most cherished belongings in Roy's closet.

For Roy, raising funds has never been a problem and he thanks his family and friends for helping him financially to arrange for the trips abroad.

'From 1997 to 2001, I was given tickets on five occasions by Brijmohan Lal Munjal, chairman of Hero Honda, to run in Europe and the US,' said Roy.

Roy lamented that in India organisers don't care about old runners and wrap up all the facilities soon after the elite runners have finished.

'Here people organise marathons just for minting money but overseas it is a community affair. Everywhere in Europe and at some places in the US, it is a community affair and everyone who completes the race is presented a medal. But in India it is a sorry affair,' said Roy.

Amidst all, Roy's romance with marathon continues and he vows to cross the three-figure mark.

(Abhishek Roy can be contacted at abhishek.roy@ians.in)