Marathon runner and environmentalist Mithika D’Cruz is full of energy and warmth. Shalaka Nalawade meets the bright youngster to know more about the hard work that goes into each of her achievements
Think marathon and what instantly comes to mind are lean, lithe African athletes with gazelle-like strides zooming past you. But here’s an Indian athlete — a petite, powerhouse performer — who catches your fancy. Meet Mithika D’Cruz who is just back from the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 2014 where she clocked in 4.07 for 42.2 km and ranked 15th in the amateur category.
Talking about how she got initiated into marathons, the youngster says, “I used to do a lot of trekking but I was never into marathons. A couple of friends, who were training for the 2011 Mumbai Marathon, suggested that I try the race.” Since then, there has been no looking back.
Going solo

Mithika opted for ‘training’ based on Internet research. “I was quite naïve and hardly paid attention to the fact that participating in such events required a lot of training. I just got a few tips from my friends and did extensive online research. I was living in Gujarat then and didn’t know anybody who trained for a marathon. I had no idea about what I was supposed to eat or how I was supposed to build my stamina. I just knew that I had to complete the marathon!” explains Mithika.

Sharing her experience Mithika says, “I started the marathon with my friends, but sometime later they were lost in the crowd. I was running with thousands of strangers. I suddenly felt I knew nothing about running. I was cold, hot, scared, thirsty and needed to use the bathroom. But then I gradually adapted to my surroundings. I began to see Mumbai and realised that I could smile and run!” Clocking in 4 hours, 26 minutes, 14 seconds, Mithika managed to grab the 10th spot at the event.

Talking about her initial challenges as an amateur marathoner, Mithika says, “Training alone, you don’t understand if you are injured or you are going wrong. You don’t know about training grounds, so you end up running alone on the streets. Girls face even more problems. But it is also a process which makes you self-reliant and you become aware of your own safety, find out what works for you and makes you certain of what you are capable of doing alone.”

More women marathoners

India sees fewer women participating in marathons. “However, I must say their number is growing. There are more women who are getting stronger and fitter to be a part of marathons,” explains Mithika.

The 28-year-old has participated in marathons across the country. Recounting her experience at the very popular Vasai Virar Mayor’s Marathon held in October 2013, she says, “Can you imagine they didn’t even have a women’s category for the full marathon? Why? Because there aren’t too many women participating in full marathons, the organisers reasoned.”

Irked by this apathy, Mithika got a few of her friends to write to the organisers. “It worked. They started the full marathon category for women,” says Mithika ecstatically.

The green crusader

An alumna of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mithika presently works with the Watershed Organisation Trust. She is working in a community-based tourism project in the small hamlet of Shiswad in Ahmednagar near Harishchandragad.

“We have set up a camp site and tourism facilities in the village. The money goes to the community, which in turn helps them realise the importance of conserving biodiversity, which draws tourists. I am in-charge of developing the site and marketing it.”

The centre is already buzzing with activity with tourists pouring in from India and abroad, wanting to experience rural life nestled in the beauty of nature with tribals and folk traditions.
“There’s no glossy luxury to lure the tourists. We don’t have servants in posh suits waiting on you, phones don’t work there and electric supply is erratic. But it’s a lovely place to run, trek, swim, go fishing, breathe fresh air,” says Mithika excitedly.

In 2009, a three-month project took her to Bolivia and work in the Amazon rain forest. “After completing my Masters, I volunteered for a project to conserve the Bolivian Amazon with Rosa Maria. Her work in the Amazon has been covered by National Geographic channel. She has set up a national park in the middle of the rain forest. I volunteered for three months with her organisation, which does a lot of conservation work and is supported by tourism. It’s similar to what we are doing at Shiswad,” adds Mithika before signing off.