The Mumbai Marathon has been scheduled for May 30 this year, with the running community divided over the wisdom of the decision to have the race at the time as it is peak summer.

First up, we must clarify that participation is voluntary. A top running coach told this paper that nobody is going to come and garland you and break a coconut exhorting you to run; participation is entirely up to a person. We must also stress that the full marathon will have limited participation so expect the seasoned, fast runners to be at the starting line for the searing 42-km distance.