MUMBAI: As the beacon of road racing in India, the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon remains the only World Top Ten marathon in South Asia. This has been possible largely due to a successful and never seen before collaborative effort of the government and corporates of Mumbai.
The sixth edition of the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon (SCMM) will be held on Sunday, January 18, 2009. 35,450 participants will hit the road in different categories.
Procam International is the promoter of the SCMM. The Marathon is billed as Asia’s richest and largest, and the strong message being sent out to the world is that ‘Mumbai is safe’. This message is being driven home tellingly by beginning and ending the race at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, while the Hospitality Partner will remain The Trident. These two were among locations hit by the terror attacks of 26 November.
Commenting on the growth of the property and the new associations in this edition, Vivek Singh, Jt. Managing Director, Procam International, says, “There are 35,450 participants as compared to 33,000 last year. The number of NGOs associated with the property this year has also increased – from 126 last year to 144 this year.”
Hockey stalwart Dhanraj Pillay, actor Suniel Shetty and Procam International Jt. MD Vivek Singh, at the inauguration of the SCMM 09 Marathon Expo on Thursday, 15 January.
Talking about the sponsors, especially after the economic meltdown, Singh opines, “We have been fortunate that all our sponsors have faith in the event and have stood by us and that has been very heartwarming, as they have chosen to continue with their commitment.
“SCMM is an international sporting event and the benefits are varied, by its very nature it gives our distance runners a great platform to compete with international athletes.”
Singh points out, “Fortunately we have not had any problems in getting the international runners. All the runners registered for the marathon will be participating. There are no back outs. Apart from that, corporates and brands look at the events as a good opportunity as well.
The promotional campaign for the SCMM was in two phases, Singh explains, “We had the first stage of promotions when we announced registrations, and a second phase closer to the event. This year we began registrations earlier in July (as opposed to October in previous years). This was to allow participants more preparation time.”
CSR Platform
According to Singh the Mumbai marathon offers a great human resource opportunity as well as a CSR platform to each of its sponsors. S Ramadorai, CEO and Managing Director Tata Consultancy Services, the Associate Sponsor, noted, “The Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon is symbolic of grit, determination and display of human spirit, which are the attributes that TCS stands for. This event gives over 1,200 TCSers an opportunity to run for a common cause to celebrate the indomitable spirit of Mumbai.”
The mass media promotions have begun on print and television. On ground promotions will also be carried out. As far as on-ground events go, each of the promotional partnering brands is carry out some or the other promotions leading up to the event. For example, DHL has a huge HR initiative for its employees in which they give out a prize to all participants who complete the run under a stipulated time.
Richest in Asia
Already the richest marathon in Asia, the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 2009 will now offer an enhanced prize purse of US$ 2,50,000 – an increase of US$ 10,000 over last year. Singh concludes, “It cost us Rs. 15 corers to put the Mumbai marathon on road. The increase in prize money is in keeping with the stature of the event, tagged as one among the top 10 marathons in the world.”
The telecom partner this year is Airtel, while the charity partner has changed from Give India to United Way of Mumbai. Neeraj Swaroop, Regional Chief Executive, Standard Chartered Bank, India & South Asia, said, “I am delighted to know that 35,000 Mumbaikars will gather together to run for their cause. The event showcases the best of Mumbai from its determined spirit to its large heartedness. What better time to demonstrate these qualities than now as we as a city resolutely bounce back from last month’s tragedy?”
This year, the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon has been dedicated to the theme ‘Run for a Cause’. “Through our campaign, we have made special efforts to encourage every participant to use the marathon to support a cause close to their hearts. I look forward to seeing Mumbaikars and others from around India and the world come together to run for their favourite cause and for a better and more secure Mumbai,” added Swaroop.
The SCMM will also be a part of a special Standard Chartered initiative called GROE (Greatest Race on Earth), along with the Singapore, Hong Kong and Nairobi Marathons. Through GROE, any four participants can form a team, and one member of each team can participate in one of the four marathons.
