Yunus aims to get second time lucky

MUMBAI: MD Yunus has vivid memories of his marathon debut here in Mumbai last year. He may have finished fifth among the elite Indian men in 2:20:30, but you sense the tinge of regret in his tone when he talks about his duel with eventual winner and military colleague Nitendra Singh Rawat and the unfortunate way it ended.
“I was set to do well last year.Unfortunately I suffered blisters on my foot around the 30 to 35km mark,” Yunus recalls two days before his second appearance at the Mumbai Marathon. “It was a good fight between Nitendra and me but I had to stop as a result of the blisters. Then I resumed. It was my first race so I was short on experience.”
The naib subedar, posted at the Army Sports Institute in Pune, has certainly returned to Mumbai with greater awareness of the testing portions along the 42km course. “It definitely gets a bit challenging around the 32-35km mark. Once you cross it, then the worst is behind you,” he says, referring to the famous ascent at Pedder Road.
Hailing from a family that sells buffalo milk for a living, Yunus reveals he took to running much before joining the army. “I used to run in school where I would come first in the 800 metres. Then slowly, I got into long distance running.”
The family's modest livelihood means did not mean sport was an alien concept. “There is some sport ing atmosphere at home. My grandfather was a wrestler, my father also to a small extent. But then his focus turned to us. He gave us education and the opportunity to play sport. But you know how it is to have a sportsperson in the house, it is like having an elephant as a pet,” Yunus says with a smile. “My elder brother is a runner. Our sisters were also into shooting but as it happens in a Muslim family, their sporting career was quickly cut short.”
Coming to the present, Yunus says his aim is to cross the tape on Sunday in 2:17.
If his feet can stay blister-free, he certainly stands a good chance, especially with the weather in a marathon-friendly mood.