Firstpost
  • Home
  • Video Shows
    Vantage Firstpost America Firstpost Africa First Sports
  • World
    US News
  • Explainers
  • News
    India Opinion Cricket Tech Entertainment Sports Health Photostories
  • Asia Cup 2025
Apple Incorporated Modi ji Justin Trudeau Trending

Sections

  • Home
  • Live TV
  • Videos
  • Shows
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Health
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • Web Stories
  • Business
  • Impact Shorts

Shows

  • Vantage
  • Firstpost America
  • Firstpost Africa
  • First Sports
  • Fast and Factual
  • Between The Lines
  • Flashback
  • Live TV

Events

  • Raisina Dialogue
  • Independence Day
  • Champions Trophy
  • Delhi Elections 2025
  • Budget 2025
  • US Elections 2024
  • Firstpost Defence Summit
Trending:
  • Nepal protests
  • Nepal Protests Live
  • Vice-presidential elections
  • iPhone 17
  • IND vs PAK cricket
  • Israel-Hamas war
fp-logo
Mumbai Marathon 2019: Between ‘heartbreak hill’ and Marine Drive’s ‘optical illusion’, runners chase victory
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter
Apple Incorporated Modi ji Justin Trudeau Trending

Sections

  • Home
  • Live TV
  • Videos
  • Shows
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Health
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • Web Stories
  • Business
  • Impact Shorts

Shows

  • Vantage
  • Firstpost America
  • Firstpost Africa
  • First Sports
  • Fast and Factual
  • Between The Lines
  • Flashback
  • Live TV

Events

  • Raisina Dialogue
  • Independence Day
  • Champions Trophy
  • Delhi Elections 2025
  • Budget 2025
  • US Elections 2024
  • Firstpost Defence Summit
  • Home
  • Sports
  • Mumbai Marathon 2019: Between ‘heartbreak hill’ and Marine Drive’s ‘optical illusion’, runners chase victory

Mumbai Marathon 2019: Between ‘heartbreak hill’ and Marine Drive’s ‘optical illusion’, runners chase victory

Amit Kamath • January 19, 2019, 19:13:00 IST
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter

On Sunday, runners at Mumbai Marathon will dodge the crowds, ascend ‘heartbreak hill’, power through the heat and the humidity and make a break for victory amidst the illusion of Marine Drive.

Advertisement
Subscribe Join Us
Add as a preferred source on Google
Prefer
Firstpost
On
Google
Mumbai Marathon 2019: Between ‘heartbreak hill’ and Marine Drive’s ‘optical illusion’, runners chase victory

Officially, it has no nickname. But the small hill near Jaslok Hospital which tests runners (twice!) during the Mumbai Marathon is fast gaining popularity as ‘heartbreak hill’, named after the hillock which runners have to navigate at the historic Boston Marathon. Making its first appearance at the 10km mark, and then again at the 37km mark, the small hill between Peddar Road and Haji Ali is crucially placed; it’s here (while returning) that runners thinking of going for victory essentially make their move. “It serves as a spanner in the works,” says Tim Hutchings, an Olympian at the 1984 edition who has been a commentator for the Mumbai race since its inception 16 years ago. “When you run it the first time in the course of a race, it’s a much gentler incline. It’s still steep. But when you return, it’s much steeper. And the runners are already suffering by this stage. So it just separates the wheat from the chaff. It’s a logical place to make an attack if you’re feeling strong,” he adds before predicting, “it will lead to heartbreak for somebody.” Hutchings, who also commentated at the Berlin Marathon a few months ago when Eliud Kipchoge broke the marathon world record with searing pace, setting a time of 2:01:39, believes the hill adds a couple of minutes to the runners’ times. “This seems like a 2:06 course. And then you add the weather conditions which are very kind to the athletes.” In the Indian context, it was at this hill, that the careers of India’s two current top runners ― Nitendra Singh Rawat, who still holds the course record, and Gopi T ― took off three years ago. In that race, Rawat was an unheralded army man who had found himself leading the race at the 29km mark. Gopi, on the other hand, was supposed to be the pace-setter at that race, expected to drop off by the 30km mark. “By the 29km stage that year, only Gopi T, who was a pace-setter at that edition, was running alongside me. And we had been told that he would drop out between 25-30km. I realised that my body was still feeling good enough to go at full steam. It was also at that stage that Gopi T decided to go for the kill, realising that there was no one in the chasing pack that was close, which meant there was a realistic chance for him to stand atop the podium,” says Rawat. “The hill isn’t as steep while we run on it the first time. But while coming back, given how tired we are from having run for 30-odd kilometres, we feel it.” Just like Hutchings, Race Director Hugh Jones has been associated with the Mumbai Marathon for all its 16 years. From his unique vantage point, he’s seen it all. Mad breaks, athletes cementing their careers, heartbreaks. The one memory that sticks out for him was of the diminutive Seboka Mulu, who has won the race thrice. “I remember one race where Seboka Mulu, this crazy girl, would go tearing off the front. And the pacemaker at that race would have to constantly keep telling her to slow down. She would slow down, but then make a move again!” he says. “Around the 35km mark, people might put in a little bit of effort there to test the others. “That stretch is maybe decisive, but it doesn’t really show. Whoever is able to deal with it most effectively and copes with it the easiest, will be likely to make the break when it matters. When that is, is often a tactical decision,” adds Jones. The optical illusion The real made-for-television drama, though, comes at the Marine Drive stretch when the race is about to end. “Once you end that hilly stretch and cross Girgaum Chowpatty to hit Marine Drive, that’s when most people go on the attack. Although, I have to say that the Marine Drive is an optical illusion. You keep thinking you can see the Trident, so you must be nearing the end. But it never gets any closer,” says Hutchings. This stretch gets made even more difficult due to the fact that the 9.00 am sun bears down upon exhausted runners, with the humidity adding to their woes. On Sunday, runners will dodge the crowds, ascend ‘heartbreak hill’, power through the heat and the humidity and make a break for victory amidst the illusion of Marine Drive.

Tags
Peddar road Mumbai Marathon Marine Drive Jaslok Hospital Mumbai Marathon 2019 Mumbai Marathon course Tim Hutchings
End of Article
Written by Amit Kamath
Email

Amit Kamath is with the sports desk in Mumbai. He covers Olympic sports like wrestling, shooting, and boxing besides also writing about NBA and kabaddi. In 2014, he was declared the runner-up in the sports category at the National RedInk Award for Excellence in Journalism for his story on Sports Authority of India's Kandivli campus where world-class athletes had to put up with appalling conditions. He was a Robert Bosch Media Ambassador in 2019. see more

Latest News
Find us on YouTube
Subscribe
End of Article

Impact Shorts

WWE SummerSlam 2025 Night 2 results: Cody Rhodes beats John Cena in wild title match

WWE SummerSlam 2025 Night 2 results: Cody Rhodes beats John Cena in wild title match

Brock Lesnar's return headlines Night Two of WWE Summerslam Cody Rhodes defeats John Cena to become the Undisputed WWE Champion Becky Lynch defeats Lyra Valkyria to stay Women’s Intercontinental Champion.

More Impact Shorts

Top Stories

Israel targets top Hamas leaders in Doha; Qatar, Iran condemn strike as violation of sovereignty

Israel targets top Hamas leaders in Doha; Qatar, Iran condemn strike as violation of sovereignty

Nepal: Oli to continue until new PM is sworn in, nation on edge as all branches of govt torched

Nepal: Oli to continue until new PM is sworn in, nation on edge as all branches of govt torched

Who is CP Radhakrishnan, India's next vice-president?

Who is CP Radhakrishnan, India's next vice-president?

Israel informed US ahead of strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, says White House

Israel informed US ahead of strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, says White House

Israel targets top Hamas leaders in Doha; Qatar, Iran condemn strike as violation of sovereignty

Israel targets top Hamas leaders in Doha; Qatar, Iran condemn strike as violation of sovereignty

Nepal: Oli to continue until new PM is sworn in, nation on edge as all branches of govt torched

Nepal: Oli to continue until new PM is sworn in, nation on edge as all branches of govt torched

Who is CP Radhakrishnan, India's next vice-president?

Who is CP Radhakrishnan, India's next vice-president?

Israel informed US ahead of strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, says White House

Israel informed US ahead of strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, says White House

Top Shows

Vantage Firstpost America Firstpost Africa First Sports
Latest News About Firstpost
Most Searched Categories
  • Web Stories
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • IPL 2025
NETWORK18 SITES
  • News18
  • Money Control
  • CNBC TV18
  • Forbes India
  • Advertise with us
  • Sitemap
Firstpost Logo

is on YouTube

Subscribe Now

Copyright @ 2024. Firstpost - All Rights Reserved

About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Terms Of Use
Home Video Shorts Live TV