VIRTUOUS RUNNING - PIYUSH GUDKA

Piyush Gudka, pictured fifth from either end, with one of his Marathon Teams which he trained successfully.

Growing up as a young boy in Mombasa, Kenya in the 1960’s, Piyush Gudka had never heard of the marathon. Had someone told him that it would involve running non-stop for 26.2 miles, he would have said 'no way'. I can never do that. There were no role models for him in the Indian community – in fact, Indians are not runners, as their Olympic performance shows. Curry is for them spicier than running.

But somehow, destiny was to prove otherwise. Migrating to London in 1972, a whole new world opened up to him, and after running his first marathon in 1994, Piyush got hooked to the concept of keeping fit and healthy and at the same time raising funds for good causes. What he was most impressed by was the whole sense of equality of the race, and how there were no class, race, prejudice, age or sex barriers – everyone, including the elite, ran as equal in one race. And this resonated with his island experience in Mombasa where unity and harmony prevailed, and his Jain faith actively propounded respect for all living beings through the philosophy of Ahimsa. Actually, Jain monks are marathon walkers – they walk for miles every day, barefoot. Piyush in the knowledge that monkhood isn't for him converted the walking to running – he was in a hurry!

And there was a deep instinct for collective endeavour, so in order to share his passion for running, he started to involve more people and train and run with them. With a 3:49 first marathon Piyush could have gone onto do sub 3:00 marathons, but his devotion to involving and guiding as many people as possible in this beautiful recreational activity was far greater. As at 2010, he had inspired and trained over 75 people, 40% of whom are women. Many had never imagined they could achieve such a feat, but all have gone onto completing at least one marathon. Marathons generally are not very diverse races, primarily because many cultures are not used to running long distances, but Piyush’s record has truly impressed the London Marathon organisers both in encouraging and training Asians to participate in the race as well as fundraising for very worthy causes. On average, he gives 300 - 400 hours of his time every year to advise, support and running with different people to help them realise their dreams and raise money at the same time. That is a huge sacrifice, given how busy and demanding modern life is. In total, his group has run 18,000 miles so far – that is equivalent to going ¾ around the whole planet.

From the serene island of Mombasa, Piyush's 29 marathons until May 2010 have taken him all over the world. He has run marathons in London, New York, Boston, Chicago, Buffalo, Sao Paolo, Cape Town, Gold Coast, Amagasaki, Dublin, Edinburgh, Berlin, Florence and Prague. A truly global citizen. Meeting Piyush in person is itself a very uplifting experience, as he oozes humility and selflessness, and is always ready to give and to encourage. Diversity is in reality a win-win for all – Piyush has become a runner thanks to living in the UK, and the UK has benefited from his charity and training.

For Piyush, the most important thing to remember about marathon running is the satisfaction of:

Participating in the race

Enjoying the fantastic atmosphere

Accomplishing “mission impossible”

Collecting lots of money for charities

Endurance achievement of a lifetime

A Chartered Accountant by profession, Piyush very often says:

“A marathon is a race without race, colour, religion, sex, prejudice, nationality, hate,

where everyone starts as an equal, and everyone finishes as a winner.”

Piyush Gudka's has now formed a charity, Fit For Nothing, which propagates improvement of mind and body through exercise. You can email Piyush by clicking here. In 2011, he ran as Mahatma Gandhi! See photo below.

Asked where he gets his inspiration from, Piyush replies with one of Gandhi’s famous quotes:

“I claim to be no more than an average man with less than average abilities. I have not the shadow of a doubt that any man or woman can achieve what I have, if he or she would make the same effort and cultivate the same hope and faith.”