Lata Bhagwan Kare astounded every spectator and participant by emerging barefoot at the event wearing a 9 yard Nauvari (traditional Maharashtrian Saree) and especially by outrunning every experienced marathoner behind and coming out victorious.
Can we ever consider of participating at such an event without proper training or at least without practicing of running for certain times before? Isn’t it awkward standing barefoot in the same line with professional runners (wearing proper dress code), in nauvari and competing with them?
Lata is a farm laborer in a town Pimpli approximately 7 km away from Baramati. She came to know about this event few days before the race through some of her relatives and decided to run, “when I came to know about this marathon, I expressed my interest to run the Marathon. At first he felt strange and took it lightly as he thought it wasn’t for me. But when he felt that I was determined, he gave me permission.” she told in an interview with DNA (Daily News and Analysis), she also admitted she had never run before, “Though I would walk one kilometre every day to get home from my work place, but I had never run before. I had never even tried to, because people might have laughed or gave me a strange look finding it to be unnatural and uncomfortable”.
It was such an extraordinary run and extremely incredible win. Sachin Satav, organizer of the development, said ‘It was completely unexpected but pleasant surprise. We felt very happy to declare her to be winner and handed over the trophy.’ Now nobody knows if she ever runs after this victory as she says, “I wish to but don’t know if I can in future and I remain as strong as today.”
Whatever she does in future but she has given the nation a very positive message, ‘running isn’t only a physical activity, it involves mental strength and workings of what your heart whispers to you.’ Be positive and you will find everything happening to you is turning out to be positive.
