Sawant completed the 10 km marathon in 1 hour and 22 mins

You can't raise a red flag at Mumbai resident Praful Sawant's patriotism. To display his love for the country, the PR professional, 42, ran his first marathon on Republic Day, with the Indian tricolour steadfast in his hand – all the way in Dubai. On January 26, when India was celebrating its 69th Republic Day, Sawant went to Dubai to take part in the Standard Chartered Dubai marathon's 10 km run. "This was the first marathon of my life," said an exhilarated Sawant, I have always wanted to do something for my country. But, I am not in the army and cannot contribute much and be recognized for it. Taking part in this marathon was a good opportunity."