Mist blowers to ease marathoners' breathing during Mumbai Marathon 2025

Athlete Bhagirathi has been reeling under smog and haze

One of the key concerns of the 20th edition of the Mumbai Marathon to be run on Sunday is the pollution. A lot of social media chatter is about our smog-covered roads and how it will affect athletes on race day. A senior BMC official said at least six mist blower vehicles will be deployed along the route. The vehicles will be deployed through the marathon (42 km) route in six wards: ward A, C, D, G (South), G (North), and H (West)," the official said. This is roughly the area from Santacruz to the tip of South Mumbai.

Mist blower vehicles deployed to combat smog

Mist blower vehicles are used to control pollution by spraying a fine mist of water or other liquids to remove pollutants from the air. The BMC has used these earlier too, on some occasions to combat dust pollution in the city. This should come as some relief to runners whose practice sessions are a cocktail of sweat and smog, as significant pollution means runners are stating, "We get winded faster."

Athlete Bhagirathi (known only by her first name) and her coach, Sunil Sharma, have been reeling under the smog and haze of Mumbai. Sharma, a runner and coach hailing from the Sirmaur district in Himachal Pradesh, said, "We are training amidst humidity and intense pollution here. It is difficult to run and breathe. I wonder how people survive here. Bhagirathi, who has a stupendous 2.55 hrs time in the full marathon, will be competing this Sunday. She lives in Wan, which is in the Chamoli district in Uttarakhand. Besides the mint-fresh air, her home, which is the last village in India, is also at an elevation of 22,000 ft. That is great for runners, as the thin air means runners need to strive harder, and then running at lesser heights becomes easier. Now, over to Sunday, we go back with renewed appreciation for the fresh air of home, where Bhagirathi will put her best feet forward. Then we go back with renewed appreciation for the fresher air of home!" he laughed.

South Mumbai's Suresh Rathod started running the marathon in 2011

In a citizens' science initiative on Friday, NGO Awaaz Foundation, working in the space of combating air pollution, claimed it used a sensor-based monitor to record PM2.5 (particulate matter) at eight locations along the length of the Mumbai marathon route. The aim, said Awaaz spokespersons, "was to ascertain the health impact of air pollution on marathon participants, particularly those with pre-existing health concerns." "PM 2.5 are the tiny particles in the air that are 2.5 microns or less in diameter, easily inhaled by humans. Exposure to high concentrations of PM 2.5 is linked to respiratory disease," it said.

The carrot

Vikas Kabra, a Nepean Sea Road resident who is running the full marathon distance (42.2 km), said, "Pollution is very significant, and we can feel it on practice runs. There is a definite difference, and I tire faster than before as the carbon dioxide enters the lungs. Uphill running in practice is more strenuous. This will be one more challenge for me and I am sure for other runners as well."

Finance professional Anand Kane from Mumbai, who is running a half marathon (21 km), said, "We let the city grow onto us, and now we find ourselves squirming for space when it comes to doing outdoor activities. As amateur runners, we depend heavily on the physical and environmental infrastructure the city affords us."

Kane explained that it was, "The carrot of development that keeps dangling ahead of us, keeping us going forward, where environmental pollutants, as in the mishandled outcomes of development, keep dragging us back on physical and often mental health too, as in many cases, both have a connection."

Distance cut

South Mumbai's Suresh Rathod started running the Mumbai Marathon in 2011 and ran the full marathon until 2019. He said, "This year I am running a 10 km run because of the climatic conditions. The smog actually interferes with the breathing pattern, and there is greater exhaustion." Rathod added that he is, "Diabetic, so first of all, smoking and then sugar conditions will not be very appropriate for me to do a full marathon."

"I have been diabetic since 2008, and when I decided to do my first full marathon in 2011, I finished in 3.55 hrs. The reason was that the weather was good and there was good preparation for the full marathon. Now, running for long in smoggy conditions can decrease one's ability to run at full capacity," said Rathod, who has run around over 100 marathons, including full marathons, half marathons, ultrathons like a 50 km run, and breezy, easy-breathing 10 km runs.