Passions: Marathon Running

By Jacob Cherian

“A salaried job is a short distance run that allows you to rest in between. A start-up is a long run, where the treasure is at the end of the distance.”

It was as a student of business administration at the prestigious IIM-A four years ago that Vineeta Singh got a taste of the “runner’s high”. The feeling of euphoria at the end of the finishing line was addictive, so much so that she ran everyday despite her gruelling study schedule. A classmate suggested they run a marathon; so, Singh, along with five other friends, started pounding the pavements from 2am to 5am daily—when traffic was thinnest. She has, of course, covered a long distance since then. Despite running two businesses—Qverify, a human capital management firm, and Quetzal, an education company—she finds the time to take on those 26 miles and 385 yards, at least twice a year. Singh has run the Mumbai Marathon thrice, finishing at the 32nd position in the women’s category in January this year. Having honed the skills of competing with the finest minds in India, this marathoner is no stranger to challenges—be it on the track or in the trade.

Finer Details

Best Time
Half marathon: 1 hour, 59 minutes
Full marathon: 4 hours, 54 minutes

Training Gear
Sony Ericsson MP3 player
Reebok running shoes
Colourful Adidas socks

Training Schedule
Runs 4-5 times a week—around 40km per week just before a marathon
Covers longer distance on IIT campus or at the Marine Drive on Sundays

First Marathon
Ran 3-4 days a week for 20 weeks while training for the first marathon
Followed the Standard Chartered Training Programme, a set of guidelines, for training

Thinking About
On her daily run, she thinks about her work and plans her day. During marathons, she watches people go by, while listening to music.

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