Auroville marathon 2010 2010
Sunday, February 14th 2010 at 6:00 AM Auroville Pondicherry, IN- Distances:
- Marathon, Half Marathon, and 10K
- Weather:
- Local Weather
- Description:
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Volunteers from Auroville, the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, runners from Chennai ,Bangalore and from Hyderabad assemble for a challenge through forests to satisfy a runners "philophosic hunger" . The run ,one of the favourite of many ends with Auroville’s bread and cheese to satisf... read more
- Website:
- http://www.auroville.org/society/mara...
Checking weather...
Race Reports
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Auroville HM
Most spectacular trail....Green all the way,Didnt start too well since my left knee start to act up...wonder why?maybe the last 10days of antibiotics lowered the immune system plus hadnt been strenghtening.
by Gurmeet Soni B.
HM started @6am.still dark and as if on que the lights went out and it was semi dark in the forest .In 10mins the the sky started to wake up and it was beautiful through the serene forest,with the smell of euclyptus and wild grass and herbs in the air.....can call it a meditative ,aromatic first 10k..!Then it started to warm up and the trail kept springing surprises with soft and mudddy to uneven to barely there track..!Aid stations 2 every 4km were were welcoming....far and few warm french..i guess ..supporters ..and by and large you could run with the nature..Last 3k seemed the longest ...maybe the heat or sheer fatigue or maybe lack of music..[my i pod got discharged just before the race and i had planned to play it after15k] Sprinted to the finish line @2.23 official not out yet.Slower but was glad could do it decently inspite of the odds that were hitting me the last few days....
Proud of it..! -
My Auroville experience
The woods were lovely, dark and deep, but I had promises to keep and miles to go before i could stop:) A very scenic route, filled with surprises all along its winding roads! The Full marathon runners started at 5.00 AM, pitch dark, they looked like fireflies flitting in the dark with their torches:) The HM started at 6.00 AM, pitch dark again, due to a power cut:) The first few kms were nice, cool, crowded and was more of setting a comfortable pace. The smiling faces along the way cheering us on was a big motivator! Lot of cyclicsts supporting the runners all along the routes. The aid stations were very well manned and were quick in providing us much needed fluids. After the second aid station is when the SUN decided to show up! and how!! it suddenly got HOT! and the aid stations just seemed so far away after that! people started grouping together and we could see people running together in perfect harmony:) Though there were lot of white marks to show the routes, we did manage to miss one turn and took one wrong turn, luckily we did not run too far:) I ran alone most of the way, with just my music for company! After the 18kms mark, a lot of people were seen walking. I did too! And it just would not end! the run on the tar road seemed to signal the end, but NO!! it did not. Took us back into the narrow no overtaking allowed paths:) that was the longest stretch! it was fun though running through small gates, jumping over mounds, struggling to run in the soft sand! finally heard some cheering, realised the finish line was close, thanks to Srinivas' constant motivation, I sprinted to the finish! What a run! The foot bath and massage was a big hit after the run. I did not try it, but did see quite a crowd there! Am so glad I did go after all the misgivings I had falling sick just before we were to leave. Am glad I did run! Thanks to all the folks who supported us all along the way, it made a big difference! Awesome experience! A big thanks to all the organisers!
by Shiromi B. -
The breakfast rocked!
Heat, humidity and sandy trails make Auroville a challenging run irrespective of what distance you're running. Congrats to all those who ran and finished! The race is well organized and puts runners first, unlike many other races these days. The breakfast was incredible... pity those who missed it! I chose breakfast over the t-shirt (lines were long for both and I didn't feel like queuing up twice).
Suggestion: It would be good to provide a marker at the 20KM (41KM) mark. Also, the first aid station seemed a little far away from the start point. This makes it particularly hard for FM runners.
by Kanishka L. -
Most awesome Marathon in India
One of the best organised marathons in India,starts at 5am,and goes through track,trail,dirt track,road,street, to make a very memorable experience.Recommended for all runners attempting their 1st FULL to do it in Auroville.
by Suresh K.
