With just one day to go for the twelfth edition of the Mumbai Marathon, it is time to get into the spirit even if you are not competing. What makes Mumbai different from the other marathon cities in India and the world in fact, is the gusto of the people lining the route, the encouragement they offer runners not just the elite runners who sail through the course with aesthetic, sublime grace but amateurs too, struggling to get to the finish line. Runners who come in to race from other cities and overseas too, have often spoken about one of the best things about the Mumbai Marathon - the charged atmosphere and the fillip they get from bystanders.

There is nothing more encouraging for failing legs and burning lungs than spectators’ cheers. The shouting gives new strength to legs that are not even finding the ground any more so tired are they and urges the mind to dig deep in its reserves and pull something special from there.