“Life has certainly changed for me since January 20. I feel that the three-month training that I underwent at the Mahalaxmi Race Course under the watchful eyes of trainers from Talwalkars made all the difference,” says the woman who finished with a timing of 2 hours and 4 minutes. In fact, she finished fifth among those above 40 years.

She now wants to improve on her timing and is gearing up for a round-the-year training schedule. “I think if three-months training can get me this far, year-long training will certainly be a big help,” she says.

Mistry is not the only Mumbaiite bitten by the marathon bug. Sanjeev Mantri, general manager of ICICI, is also all set to go through the grind of a year-long training programme. “It was my second attempt this year. I had a timing of 2 hours and 50 minutes last year. This year, after the three-month training, I managed to clock 2 hours and 19 minutes. By doing round-the-year training, I expect to improve to an hour and 50 minutes,” says the 37-year-old.

Worli Sea Face resident, 24-year-old Neerja Mittersain, is thinking along the same lines. “My parents, who were so worried about my taking part in the half-marathon, were thrilled when I completed it. My colleagues at KPMG, who initially made fun of me, are also inspired by my performance,” says the youngster. A round-the-year training is what she is looking forward to. “It will be of great help,” she says.

“We had especially designed the regime to ensure that these working people shouldn’t get so tired that they can’t even attend office,” says Praful Uchil, who trained the enthusiasts at Mahalaxmi Race Course. “They definitely enjoyed the light work-outs and that is what I believe did the trick. If they go for round-the-year training, they will certainly do well,” added the former athlete.

The marathon has been a life-changing experience, they all agree. “The regime also helps me go through my daily routines all afresh,” says Mistry. “It helps me de-stress,” feels Mantri.

Prashant Talwalkar of Talwalkars Gym says they are now flooded with enquiries. “We are absolutely delighted with the people’s response. But round-the-year training for these people has to be carefully planned. We want enthusiasts to take step-by-step training or they might develop injuries by the time the marathon comes up next year. We are discussing with leading expert Ian Ladbrooke and will come out with new plans and packages soon,” he informed