To all those people running out there, “keep running, keep following your dreams, stay happy and never give up because it is only you who can do it.”
My dream became a reality! Hyderabad 10K Run
The sun was rising high in the sky giving hope to the thousands of people lining up for the race to start. There went the shot from the gun “boom”. As I started running among the participants who were in white t-shirts, I saw the famous Milkha Singh, also known as The Flying Sikh, a former Indian track and field sprinter, flag off the Hyderabad Run. He was up in the stands, encouraging all the runners. It felt like a dream come true. All the practice sessions I had run, all the harsh practices I had faced, all the failures I had come across; all those moments came into my mind as I crossed the start line, the beginning of a new journey.
But my actual journey started three weeks back, when Ms. Vasanthi, one of my teachers, approached me in the study hour, asking me if I was interested in the Hyderabad 10K run, to be held on 29th November, 2015. I was very excited as running is like meditation to me and I was waiting for an opportunity to show my potential. I had already missed an opportunity, back in 2014 when I was meant to take part in the Airtel Hyderabad Marathon 5K run, but failed to wake up. This had been a draw back in my running career but I felt that now, I had an opportunity to make a come-back. So, I said, “yes” happily and my quest started there.
My next task was to search for other runners interested in the event and I found 2 of my colleagues – Momshad and Kaish – who were keen to accompany me for the run. So we were all set to go out there and have some fun. The practice started. The major difficulty I faced was that the run was right after my exams. As a result, I was unable to practice completely. Once my exams had finished, the next problem was to get the Kit – bibs and T-shirts for everyone. So, one day before the run, we set out on an adventure. Co-incidentally this was the same place where the run would be taking place the next day.
The adventure to collect the ‘Run Kit’ began. Sitting in the school bus that takes teachers into the city once a week to Inorbit Mall, Kaish and I knew that it was going to be a long day. As soon as we reached Inorbit, our first task was to track down the route to the place. We were all set to travel 20 kilometers in an auto rickshaw! Constantly checking where we were going, we were scared but also enthusiastic to explore a place that we had never seen before. Our jaws dropped when we saw the track – around the edge of the Hussain Sagar Lake with greenery everywhere. We collected our kits and explored further.
Then came the day, a day filled with hopes and aspiration. A day filled with joy, a day which seemed never ending. All the runners from our school had to report at the campus roundabout at 5:15 am where the bus was waiting for us. The runners representing our school were teachers, Ms. Vasanthi, Ms. Manisha, Mr. Vijay and Ms. Sujana, as well as Kaish, Momshad and me. I was the only one participating in the 10 kilometer run, while the others were participating in the 5 kilometer run. Then we faced another problem. Momshad didn’t wake up and so we had to leave for the event without him. I remembered the saying, “Time and Tide waits for no man.”
Now, the anxiously awaited moment had come. I was nervous, but confident too that I can achieve something from this run which brings me back to where I started. I started running at a constant speed. I had only two goals – to complete the race without stopping and to finish the race in less than 50 minutes. There I was, running among tens of thousands of people, all unknown to me. At first, I felt that it is above my capability and that I should give up, but something drew me back and I continued running. I kept running, through the streets, among the people, beside the cars and volunteers. After completing 5 kilometers, I drank water at one of the stations and then everything changed. I saw people giving up, stopping in the middle of the run but I never thought of it. The only thing that I thought of was the times I had practiced, the times when I gave everything for the sake of this sport and this was the boost that helped me complete the race!
Once the race was over, it took me about 30 minutes to get back on my feet again. Soon I started looking out for my school mates. Although I was searching for them, I just kept enjoying everything around me on that wonderful day. I was enjoying the warm sun on my face, the live music that was playing, admiring people from little children to great veterans running and completing the race.
To conclude, this was one experience that I will never forget in my life. It is a memory to cherish and ponder upon. To all those people running out there, “keep running, keep following your dreams, stay happy and never give up because it is only you who can do it.”
– Moiz Rajwani, MYP 5K
