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Mumbai: Neither the oppressive humidity nor high pollution could keep them away. A record-breaking 59,967 on-ground runners of all ages and abilities participated in the 20th edition of Tata Mumbai Marathon on Sunday, surpassing last year’s turnout of 56,545. There was, however, a slight decrease in the number of female participants across six categories—from 16,180 in 2024 to 15,711 this time.
The event took a toll on 2,018 participants, with 26 requiring hospitalisation. At the time of going to press, two remained on ventilators, one underwent angioplasty following a heart attack, and 16 had been discharged.
Weather weighed heavily on participants’ and organisers’ minds as governor C P Radhakrishnan flagged off TMM 2025 from CSMT—the minimum temperature was 5°C higher than last year’s 16.1°C—but that little to deter those like Delhi resident Shashank Saini, who completed the full marathon in 5 hours and 30 minutes. “The heat and the humidity were bad, and the pollution level was high, but we weren’t bothered. The hydration support was the best. This is a very well organised marathon and I will be back next year,” said the 40-year-old. Swati Mukund, who has multiple sclerosis and completed the half marathon, said it “didn’t feel as comfortable” this time as previous editions of TMM owing to the weather. Some like a 25-year-old American national running her second marathon in the city, who didn’t want to be identified, felt that humidity eased within hours.
International participants, some of whom have made India their home and others who flew in especially for the event, added to the spectacle. Olga Pardo (42), a Russian married to an Indian who lives in Kozhikode, returned for the second year. Rohit Murjani (39), a finance executive from Chicago, took part in his first full marathon at TMM, which he completed in a little over 4 hours. “The route was scenic,” said a knackered Murjani, who recently recovered from food poisoning. Hours later, he made a dash to the airport for a flight back home.
Families were also out in greater numbers this time, some with generations cheering on from the sidelines and converging on the finishing line to celebrate the milestone. Among them were year-old twins who, with their mother, eagerly awaited the arrival of their father at the finish line.
The elderly blazed the path for many. Chartered accountant Lakhichand Lodha (81), who comfortably completed the senior citizen run, was accompanied by his daughters —Sarika Oswal (46), a doctor who completed her fifth half marathon, and Smita Kankariya (52), who arrived from Nashik to participate in her first 10km run.
The 10km run, which attracted the largest turnout, began at 6am. Camaraderie was at a high during this race—some lent a helping hand to those almost ready to give up, while others found innovative ways to egg runners on. First-time 10km runner Ritika Jhaveri said the atmosphere energised by dhol tasha, lazim, Bollywood music, loud cheers kept everyone motivated. The route overlap in a section of the 10km run and the half marathon, however, caused some concern. HR professional Mrinal Malviya, who took part in the 10km run, said, “I wish they had spaced out the time between the 10km and 21km runners because the crowd just got bigger.”
The ‘dream run’ category saw participation of more than 24,000 persons, many of whom sought to shed light on pressing issues, from cyber security to child sexual abuse.
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