Spice Coast Marathon (SCM) and Cochin International Half Marathon (CIHM) 2014 - Experience - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

We had the privilege to participate in two half marathons in the space of three weeks right here in Kochi -

Spice Coast Marathon (SCM) on November 16th and Cochin International Half Marathon (CIHM) on December 7th. This is indeed a big step - a couple of years ago having even one such event was a faraway dream. At the outset, we should mention that we are non-runners - we just run for fitness. The difference between a runner and a non-runner became crystal clear after participating in these two events - runners regularly push themselves to reach the next level while non-runners are quite happy to be able to keep their weights in check while continuing to enjoy culinary options to the maximum - the less we need to exert to achieve this objective the better! Also, the expectations of these two groups from a race are very different - for runners, the event is all about themselves - PBs (personal best timing), medals, certificates, post-event pampering (food primarily), etc. For non-runners, it is more about the festivities, camaraderie and the quality of entertainment on offer.

The two events were a contrast to the extreme in many respects.

Spice Coast Marathon - SCM (organized by Soles of Kochi):

The Good:

1. The race started precisely when it was supposed to. 
2. The full marathon was a Boston Qualifier (BQ) event - only a few in India have that designation.
3. The after-run refueling was a proper breakfast.

The Bad:

1. Pre-run warm-up was a farce and the commentary left much to be desired. There were two people with mikes, one in fancy dress (protective gear and helmet making someone comment it is to avoid the stones thrown his way) and the other with a female voice but pretty much hidden from participants (again a comment that it was the same guy acting out both roles). There was some talk about the structure of the course and the guy kept mentioning about a small ‘iffy’ stretch but irritatingly refrained from elaborating on what exactly was the ‘iffyness’. As far as warm-up, the idea was to get warmed up from the enthusiasm of this one guy with the mike...
2. There were several running professionals that offered talks and such during the bib collection event. While on the outside, this appeared a very good gesture, it was again pretty much a farce - although these invitees had obvious marketability (Guinness book, etc.), their actual reputations were rather spotty.
3. The event was publicized as an eco-conscious effort with even the medals being made of eco-friendly coir - however, the medal ended up being quite unwieldy, size-wise. The execution of the eco aspect of the race was well below par - the most glaring gaffe was a glossy booklet issued as part of the bib packet that explains the heritage sites on the course - an online link to the content would have been ample and would have saved many trees - the content was not copy-edited and hence had numerous errors.

The Ugly:

1. A number of portable potties lined the entrance but to most everyone’s chagrin, no water. There was no alternative although the KV (Kendiya Vidyalay - the school whose grounds were used as the starting point) bathrooms were right by the side - the organizers made no effort to get those accessible to the participants.
2. The event started at 5 AM. As we started running, it was fairly dark - the 5AM start was really unnecessary for the half-marathon.
3. We couldn’t find even a single distance marker throughout the course. The volunteers were clueless about their own position in the course and kept feeding us erroneous information. (One of the organizers later told us that their eco-friendly markers were too small to be of any practical use).
4. Medical and potty facilities were missing throughout the course. It is a miracle that nothing undue happened.
5. One of us had a podium finish within our category. To this day there has been no acknowledgement or trophy. Besides, even after three weeks, there is still no way to even download the finisher’s certificate (there is a link which downloads something that looks like an SCM Ad instead of the certificate).

Cochin International Half Marathon - CIHM (organized by Kochi Municipal Corporation):

The Good:

1. As with their 2013 event, the race was an Association of International Marathons and Distance Racers (AIMS) approved event. The course was adjusted this year to accommodate a new start-point but overall it was very similar as last years.
2. For a 20,000+ participant race, the event itself was conducted extremely well and started right on-time. The holding area was crowded as expected but there was room for everyone to do their warm-ups and follow the cues from the professional crew at the podium. Parking also was a breeze and the police force very helpful.
3. The entire course had a number of water stations (water & energy drink) and medical units. The first medical unit was just getting set-up as we passed but as the event progressed they were in action.
4. It was a pleasure to see the folks from the Indian Navy running alongside the rest of us. Their behavior throughout the course was exemplary and is truly a matter of immense national pride.
5. The race was flagged off by Padmasree Mohanlal himself - a nice gesture from his part as the brand ambassador.
6. Quality live entertainment was another big plus this year.

The Bad:

1. Bib collection experience was a negative compared to last year. The papers said it starts at 11AM on the 4th, the emails said 10AM, while the display at the facility said 1PM. The official excuse was that the flight carrying the bibs was delayed. We reached there by noon on the opening day and spend an hour chatting with the volunteers and the people in the queue as the essential ingredient ‘the bib’ was yet to arrive.
2. The race categories were adjusted presumably to encourage senior women runners. But, as with most government stuff, speculation is rife that it was done to help a few select participants.
3. Information sharing improved compared to last year but was still well below par. Downloading the course route with good resolution was an exercise in futility even on the day before the race.

The Ugly:

1. While the setup and execution of the race went relatively flawless, the logistics at the finish gave it all away - no acknowledgement, no intimation as to where to obtain the medal and food packet, etc. The real bummer was that they ran out of medals. This led to mass-protests and there were even reports of police man-handling some folks. What a shame!
2. The race was promoted as a people’s run, but the organizers let celebrities and politicians take center-stage while ignoring the participants completely. It was pathetic to see participants finishing the grueling race only to be pushed and shoved at the finish-point.

Overall impressions and some feedback:

Kochiites can be proud to have hosted two international marathons this year. Truth is, from a participant perspective, both were failures although due to entirely different reasons. While SCM probably met some of the expectations of runners it was a disaster for non-runners. With CIHM, the scenario was the exact reverse - it did meet most of the expectations of non-runners but miserably failed to satisfy runners.

SCM claims to cater to runners, but the reality left a lot to be desired. It is an event organized by Soles of Kochi (a runner’s group) and we supported it with our participation mainly because a friend of ours is a founding member.

The reason for the failure of SCM may be summarized as follows:

1. For the success of any event, it is critical that there should be a clearly articulated purpose. SCM had no such purpose and when pressed for the cause gave very vague responses. The last word we heard from our friend was that the managing committee will decide what to do with the profits from the event.
2. This would sound harsh but would lack honesty if left unsaid - Soles of Kochi, the organizers of the SCM event behaves like a cult and already demonstrates several characteristics. The core group has perceived noble goals but is in reality shooting for power, fame, and fortune. The rest are recruits at different levels in the hierarchy. Membership is primarily achieved by presenting an image of invincibility (opportunity to be part of an elite group who can do things very few others can and the chance for runners high), but it is just cult messaging at its best.  The core propaganda is that running is a very big deal and running with the group is vital. Come on guys - running is not a big deal at all - anyone can do it - all it takes is practice. It is the right spirit to shoot for power, fame, and fortune in one's pursuits but have the courage to be open about it instead of hiding behind a noble facade. Moreover, there is power-struggle at the top and this contributed to the event’s failures.
3. Money was a big issue probably due to lack of good sponsors. At almost double the CIHM event fee, SCM was not value for time and money. This was probably the main reason why the participation was only around one-twentieth of the participation in CIHM.
4. SCM seemed to cherry pick from the upper echelons of the society rather than catering towards the commoner. This probably backfired as it alienated the vast majority. Given they used a lot of the city’s resources before, during, and after the race, it was only proper for them to at least give back a little - an opportunity to let a few hundred promising youngsters take part in the event for a nominal fee would have been only right.

With CIHM, the problems are less severe although the effort and inclination needs to be there to address issues before things get out-of-hand again:

1. When you come right down to it, the lack of medals/recognition at the end was what made this race a failure. Technically, this can be easily resolved. Hopefully, next year will see a turnaround.
2. When promoting the race as a people’s run, it is extremely critical to try and make it as affordable to the participants as possible. The Rs 200/- fee last year was perfect in this regard but the organizers chose to make it Rs 500/- this year. It would have been better to increase the fee by 25% and focused more on increasing the participation.
3. The marketing effort was well below par compared to last year. The participation could easily double or more with concerted effort.

Summary:

Despite some of the negatives, we consider ourselves lucky to have been able to participate in two half marathons in the space of three weeks in our backyard. The podium finish and the PBs were a bonus. It is amazing that the two events were a contrast to the extreme and it opens up the possibility of what could be, if the organizers of the two events are able to combine/collaborate. We did provide this feedback to SCM six months before the actual event, but the SCM response was disappointing - they did not want CIHM to steal their thunder. Well, now that their maiden event is over, may be it is time to reconsider this aspect. In any case, we conclude wishing the coming years will witness a truly world class event from our beloved Kochi.

Related Posts:

1.  Cochin International Half Marathon 2013 - A maiden gala event at Kochi.

Cochin International Half Marathon 2013 - A maiden gala event at Kochi

Kochi hosted its maiden Half Marathon on December 29, 2013. The experience from the mini-marathon conducted in 2011 helped make this a hugely successful event for the city and its people. Runners in general, were somewhat skeptical about Cochin International Half Marathon 2013 due to a number of factors, chief among them being the event was organized by the city as opposed to a runners group - the local runners figured it would be used to showcase politicians and celebrities as opposed to promoting running as a lifestyle change for the general public. The city silenced all its critics by pulling off a highly professional event - most parts were outsourced to the best organizations available and that probably helped.

Having participated in the half marathon event, below are some observations:

Good: 

1. Entry on the Marathon Day: The main-gate to Maharajah's ground was opened only slightly for some weird reason. This resulted in a stampede atmosphere in the adjacent street (Hospital Road) and the main entrance area. Policemen manned the area and the gates and they continued to keep the gates half closed despite the mad-rush of the participants to get inside. This was the one real red-flag in the entire event. Once past the half-opened gates, the race categories as well as the age-category pens were marked well that getting to the correct slot was not a problem. Also, it was heart-warming to see dignitaries such as Rishi Raj Singh waiting in the pen just like the others for the start - no special treatment at all and there were a bunch of folks from the transportation department with him (Rishi Raj Singh finished the race in 2:52 (bib number 7144) - unfortunately, an emergency angioplasty was done soon after following chest pain). The presence of the 2000-strong navy crew across the half-marathon and 7K events was a wonderful sight. They encouraged the runners too during the race!
2. Warm-up Drills: A professional warm-up crew was on the stage from around 5:15AM to 6:15AM and they kept the runners entertained. The warm-up drills were hard to follow as the category-pens were crowded. Not a surprise, given the participation of over 8000 people.
3. Water, Sponge, Electrolytes, Refreshments, Goodies, Medical Support, and Restrooms:  Water was plentiful  throughout the course. It was distributed roughly at the rate of one per kilometer. Water-sponges and electrolytes were distributed only twice. Medical support was not a problem as they had temporary facilities both at the start-point and at a few locations on the course. Green Kochi initiative however  took a back-seat during the event - plastic bottles and no proper disposal areas. Goodies were missing too - the bib-packet consisted of just the bib, timing chip, and safety pins - an option to purchase a marathon themed T-shirt would have been good. Refreshments at the end of the event consisted of a bun and juice but they ran out of them half way through the event - there was no verification at all in the medals and refreshments distribution-area and that probably contributed to the problem. Alas, no restroom facility either.

Better: 

1. Registration: Registration opened just six weeks before the race day. Online registration was the best option as it was very smooth. The option to register manually through Muthoot branches was less than perfect as many ended up waiting a long time during bib collection - some manual verification of proper registration was involved, thus delaying the process.
2. Bib Delivery Process: The bib collection center at Maharajah's ground was open on the 26th, 27th or 28th. Participants had to show ID proof in original and registration confirmation email. Starting trouble was there on the first day and those who arrived first to collect the bib had to wait upwards of 30-minutes. From then on, the process went relatively smooth.
3. Marathon Route, Start-times, Cheer-leading, etc: The marathon route was completely flat except for the short climbs to cross the two bridges from Ernakulam  to Mattanchery through Wellington Island. Although the route itself did not go through any of the touristy areas, the heritage nature of the place was easy for anyone to recognize. The start-times for the races were announced somewhat late. Organizers officially announced 6:15AM as the start time for the half-marathon and 6:45AM for the 7K fun-run just a week prior to the event - apparently, there was pressure to make it a late start to make it convenient for celebrities and other dignitaries but sanity won-out in the end. The organizers had plans for a parallel competition for the cheer-leading crews that could independently register but apparently there were few takers. Good 'chendamelam' and such were there in the Mattanchery area and though the rest of the course lacked group events the locals that flagged on either-side of the entire route more than compensated for this by their enthusiastic response.

Best: 

1. Participation Fee: The organizers managed to keep the entry fee extremely low compared to other well-known marathons in the country - the entry fee for the half-marathon was Rs 200 and for the 7K fun-run was Rs 100. This is compared to an average of well over Rs 1000 for other international marathons in India. Not only that, subsidized registrations were offered to under-privileged groups. 
2.  Prize Money: For a maiden effort, the overall prize money at over Rs 25L was comparable to the prize monies offered by the best races in the country. The age-wise and gender-wise categorization with separate prize monies for Indians ensured the race gave something to celebrate for the locals, even-though their best efforts may not equal the best in the world. Further, equal prize money for men and women was another positive factor. Although, the winners check of $5K was low compared to international standards, the event still attracted some of the best athletes ranked within the top ten in the world.
3. Course Logistics: The marathon route was in pristine condition on the day of the marathon. Runners especially appreciated the lack of potholes and traffic on the course. Also, the timing chip transfixed on the body-side of the bib and the timing mats functioned well - the mat locations were easy for the runners to recognize as well. Within two hours of the run, the official results became available online. The finish-point was well-organized although the area became very crowded over time. The open and elite winners were announced at the main stage but some of the other category winners did not get to stand on the podium following some confusion about the official timings

Related Posts: 

1.  Two international marathon events in the same year (2014) in Kochi - Experience - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

Last Updated: 12/2014.