Ramesh Kanjilimadhom (far left) runs barefoot in Kochi, Kerala
The sun is just beginning to peek out of the horizon. The milk delivery man waves ‘Hello’. The newspaper boy nods a greeting as he pedals away. Just 5 minutes, and his crown has already broken into a sweat in the intense Kochi humidity.
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He woke up one day, literally and figuratively, to the need to be fit and stay fit.
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Maintaining a steady pace, Ramesh Kanjilimadhom is on his regular run and has gotten into the rhythm. The road appears clear and empty to him. No distractions, just him…his thoughts…the asphalt under his bare feet and the sound of his breath. An ordinary man, on the verge of enabling something extraordinary.
The beginnings
It was the year 2001 when the Kanjilimadhom family received the news. Like a major percentage of the Indian race, his family was cursed with a tendency to develop diabetes—almost an epidemic today with one in three Indians afflicted. Ramesh’s brother had been diagnosed with diabetes and needed medication to manage the disease. There was no doubt Ramesh would also get it at some point in his passive life. Like many Indians—conservative and traditional—Ramesh finished his engineering and worked at an Information Technology company—a desk job with minimal or no physical movements.
Ramesh would finish the day and feel tired at the end of it. His brother’s news only worsened his worry. He woke up one day, literally and figuratively, to the need to be fit and stay fit. Running was his choice of exercise. “Having no real athletic background in the past, running was the simplest sport I could undertake. It involves almost no competition except against myself. I could do it pretty much anywhere,” says Ramesh. “I don’t have to wait for a team now, need minimal equipment and it gives me a meditative escape for as long as I’m out there.”
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The first hundred meters and he was gasping for air. He walked a lot and jogged a little. There were muscles in his body that painfully reminded him of their existence. Ramesh kept at it—up early, run, head to work, rest, up again, run. Ramesh’s distances gradually improved. He found music to be a distraction and enjoyed the ambient noise. He could run longer without stopping. His legs would hurt lesser, and he could run 10 km without a break. The physical transformation was phenomenal but the change in how he felt mentally was the biggest drive—he felt stronger and happier.
Three years in, Ramesh started aiming higher. Over the next three years, he achieved a half-marathon and then a full marathon, the whole 42.2 km in one go. A decade in, at thirty-seven, he ran his first marathon competition. He finished the race in three hours and 47 minutes. Looking at the complimentary finisher’s medal, he brimmed with pride on having turned his life around and made friends who shared the same interest and enthusiasm. Ramesh’s quest for liberation through running and competitive running grew. The more he ran, the more he loved it and the more he wanted to improve.
Getting to the peak
In 2009, a friend suggested running barefoot. The journey was hard and filled with several bruises. The quality of roads in India did not help either but he endured, survived and thrived. He went international that year as he made the cut for the Boston Marathon and went on to clinch a record in the Dubai marathon. A memorable three hours, five minutes and twenty-six seconds that stayed etched in his memory.
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It was not all glory; there was pain too. In 2012, as Ramesh neared the high point of his passion, an accident caused by a careless driver put a temporary stop to the endeavour. He recovered and felt there was a need for drastic change in his city—the mindset of the people towards running—safe running—had to change and for that, he needed to build awareness. Thus was born the group ‘Soles of Cochin’, which combined his passion for running and social media.
Spice Coast Marathon
Today, Soles of Cochin has expanded, runs regularly, organizes marathons, and is truly kicking asphalt! They have hosted one of the most successful marathons in India—the Spice Coast Marathon—since 2014. As expected, the marathon has grown in popularity and numbers with 2016 being a thumping success! As they say, such is the power of ONE—when one man dreamt of changing his life, he became the reason behind something extraordinary.
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One of a kind, the Spice Coast Marathon—considered one of the most scenic—routes its participants through forty-two unique landmarks.
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One of a kind, the Spice Coast Marathon—considered one of the most scenic—routes its participants through forty-two unique landmarks—some historic, some scenic–across Cochin, and is the official qualifier course for the aspirational Boston Marathon. It attracts runners from all walks of life, economic abilities, physical abilities, age and race. It has instiled some sense of the need for a healthy lifestyle within the community and the nation by simply—kicking asphalt!
“Running is spiritual healing to many who seek it. I wasn’t particularly trying to get into or out of any personal struggle, but an addiction to this challenge grew in me organically. I am happy to have instilled the need for a healthy lifestyle in my family and in the people around me.”
— Ramesh Kanjilimadhom
Photo: Ramesh Kanjilimadhom