There is no finish line

No one is born a runner, but I can say from personal experience that a runner is definitely born everyday.

Before I took up the sport of running, I was a footballer, a hockey player and maybe even a badminton enthusiast. But running for miles was miles away from anything I’d ever thought I’d pursue; short sprints maybe, but long enduring runs? A big no no.

Until something just snapped in me and I decided to challenge myself. I remember the exact date as well. It was the afternoon of the 28th of July, 2023. It was a Friday. I was at work and the WNC Navy Half Marathon poster caught my eye. And I thought to myself, here’s a challenge. Not the 5k, not the 10; let’s directly run a Half Marathon.

I got on a training plan that very day and by Monday, I was off and running. Best bit, I was a nocturnal runner, putting in a shift after a day at work post 9 pm. While everyone was retiring for the day, I found myself racking up the kilometres.

Months flew by. Kilometres began stacking up. Wake up, run for the train, run myself into the ground at work, run home and get ready to literally run. And when race day arrived, it wasn’t a completely different feeling. 

From leaving home during the wee hours of the morning, catching the train once more, working my way to the start line and literally running from the flag off all the way to the finish line, it was an excitement like no other.

What they say is right, I guess: The Training is the Marathon, the Race is the Celebration. And after crossing that finish line, I knew I’d want to continue running many more races, crossing more finish lines and celebrating each and everyone of them like the first one.

From that day on, there was no finish line anymore. 

From that day on, a runner was born.