MUMBAI: When hundreds of running enthusiasts line up for the half-marathon event of the Tata Mumbai Marathon on Sunday, only one among them will be a man who makes horses run for money. It will be the 14th time in Malesh Narredu's two-year running career that he will be participating in a long-distance running event.
A big name in Indian horse racing with an Indian Derby crown, both as a jockey and a trainer, Narredu was trying to shed a few kilos on a doctor's advice two years ago when a long-distance running trainer Suraj Chavan spotted him at the Mahalaxmi racecourse.
"He told me that the way I comfortably finished one round of 2.4km there, I could still go take two or three more gradually," 56-year-old Malesh TOI on Saturday.
"I gradually started increasing distance and soon started taking three rounds," added Malesh who has a record seven Pune Derby titles under his belt as a jockey and three as a trainer.
"Though my friends advised me not to take long running at this age, it was my elder brother Satish, who is also a jockey-cum-trainer at Bengaluru, who encouraged me to go for it," informed Malesh.
As marathons are held on Sundays, which coincides with a horse trainer's busiest race day, Malesh still finds time for running despite the hectic schedule. "Once I reached Bengaluru at 3.30am, didn't sleep and went straight to the race. Completed it in 1hr 45 minutes and came back to Mumbai by a 10am flight to saddle my horses for the afternoon races," recalled Malesh.
Last year, Malesh finished 10k in 53:14 at the Mumbai Marathon and this year he is running a half-marathon.
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