Organising a world-class marathon is a mammoth task - no doubt! Read about the man who runs the show... Ladies and Gentlemen,
Shahid Kandrikar, Race Director, TWCM 2013
Shahid Kandrikar, Race Director, TWCM 2013
The year is 2010. This is runner's paradise. The tall man from Chennai looks around and catches his breath, with awe. Elite runners, beginners, veterans, men, women, young, old all standing along side him, their eyes on one end and one goal only. The 89 km long Comrades race, held every year in South Africa, is a pilgrimage every runner aspires to go to. Standing there, cold, fearful, at the start line, gives you a sense for your own smallness, your speck in the universe-ness….
Shahid Kandrikar is not your run-of-the-mill casual runner. He is dedicated, focussed, the razor sharp concentration an intimate part of him, every time he laces up his shoes. It was a fine day in 2002, struggling to lose weight, and gain back control over his health, that Shahid first started running. As a quiet and rock solid member of the Chennai Runners core group today, he has grown from strength to strength, and his running resume today is truly impressive.
As the Race Director for The Wipro Chennai Marathon 2013, Shahid can be well expected to be busy beyond measure in these few months leading up to D-Day December 1. With an expected turn-out of 10000 people, directing TWCM 2013 is indeed a monumental task, with an unbelievable number of details to be carefully worked out, to ensure the best runner experience possible.
In the midst of this, Shahid is also training himself for a variety of events. He has unfinished business at Comrades - despite dropping out that day in 2010, it has remained the most memorable and poignant event in his running career. "I cannot describe the feeling - you just have to be there" he tells us, when we poke at it. Training for the Comrades requires not only dedicated mileage scale-up but also a variety of workouts to be incorporated into your routine. A certified full marathon finish is a further requirement. With the marathon scene hotting up in India, there are so many "unmissable" races he has to fit into his calendar.
Thus it was that the Dream Runners Half Marathon, on Jul 7, was there, as a 'fast race' in his schedule. Last year, he had run a steady and strong race to finish in 1:51, and the goal going into it this year was to clip a minute off that time. As the launch pad for TWCM advertising, this was an important race from that viewpoint as well. Determined to run a well planned race, Shahid set targets and trained, up to the race day. Here is his race report.
"My target for the DRHM was a very conservative 9 minute mile target which will give me a sub 2 timing. A nine minute will give me a finish time in between 1:58-1:59. I wanted this race to be a kind of a training run for the Berlin Marathon in September where I want to keep a steady pace. I ran with Balaji (a Comrades man himself) for the first 5kms talking and the time just flew.
We had talked about taking a walking break at 10K, but I had somehow managed to lose my group and forgot about the walk break! Just when I was thinking about taking one, I saw my brother running on the opposite side, and my competitive side took over and I decided to continue running.
At every station after the lighthouse, I took a bit of Glucon to replenish the salt lost, as it was a pretty humid day. Despite some walk breaks at aid stations, I was still under control at a little less than 9 mins/mile. At the finish, I sped up a little to finish at 1:58:23. Overall a good race."
Shahid is a modest man. The conditions were, to say the least, tough on that day. The humidity was fairly oppressive, and most people struggled with maintaining their goals. Most of us are not made of steel, of course. Meticulous planning, dedicated training, and a positive attitude are what makes him an inspirational runner. Here is wishing Shahid a fantastic running year and many more "smart" races and accolades!
