In a few days from now, 20-year-old Harshad Mhatre, who hails from a tiny Vasai village of around 2000 inhabitants called Umelman, will leave the saltpans of his native place behind to travel to Kenya as part of the Elite Distance Running Programme (EDRP).


Harshad Mhatre warms up at New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium yesterday 

The EDRP, run by Procam International along with Sports Authority of India (SAI) and Global Sports Communication (GSC), was launched last year to promote distance running in the country by providing professional training and international exposure to selected athletes.